Shrimp and Scallop Ceviche

One of the best meals I've had while traveling was a bowl of Ecuadorian style Ceviche from the Galapagos Islands. Our guide, Billy, took us to this little hole-in-the-wall restaurant in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, complete with chickens running loose amongst the dining area. Our meal consisted of a big bowl of shrimp, whitefish and octopus, marinated in a bright, citrus based sauce with tomatoes, onions, lots and lots of cilantro, and topped with popcorn (a uniquely Ecuadorian way of serving Ceviche)

Ceviche can be made from many different types of seafood, but it's my understanding that not all fish will result in a good texture. If you want to try fish, a good whitefish like Snapper is recommended. If you haven't made Ceviche before, or are unfamiliar with it, it is a technique of "cooking" seafood in citrus juice rather then with heat. Marinating the seafood in a mix of lemon, lime and orange juice changes the protein structure in the same way as cooking it. You would never know it wasn't cooked in the traditional manner. It's important to start with the freshest seafood you can find.

Shrimp and Scallop Ceviche

1/2 lb fresh shrimp (peeled and deveined)
1/2 lb fresh small scallops
4 small tomatoes, diced and seeded
1 c cilantro leaves, chopped
2-4 jalepeno peppers, chopped
1 red onion diced
1 avocado, chopped
2TB Tomato sauce
salt & pepper
Juice from approx. 10 lemons and limes (enough to cover all of your ingredients)

Add all of the ingredients to a large, non-reactive bowl and fill with citrus juice. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours.

The batch I made took about 8-10 hours to thoroughly cook through, so plan accordingly.

Serve with popcorn and tabasco sauce.