Ceviche Mixto
It happened again, as soon as the weather turns warm and the sun is out, like a Peruvian Pavlovian response, I start craving ceviche. But which one to make? The traditional Ceviche de Pescado or Japanese-Peruvian Ceviche Nikkei made with firm flesh white fish are a great introduction. But did you know ceviche can also be made with shrimp, squid, and scallops? We call this family of ceviches “mixto” or mixed.
In addition to mixing different types of seafood, the main difference is that the shrimp, squid, and scallops have to be cooked before marinating in the leche de tigre — or lime juice combined with spices that give each ceviche its unique flavor profile. This ceviche mixto was inspired by a recipe I found in The Great Ceviche Book by Douglas Rodriguez and it features an aji amarillo paste in the marinade.
To cook the shrimp, I prepared a poaching liquid as recommended by Rodriguez, and used Tabasco sauce and Worcestershire sauce for flavoring in addition to a lemon and peppercorns. I cooked the squid and scallop separately in a skillet and added fish stock to the leche de tigre to soften some of the acid in the lime juice. To balance the heat, and for more color, I garnished the dish with chopped mango.
Though this dish takes more planning and cooking time than the traditional ceviche, it was great to experiment using different fish. Since it marinated in the refrigerator, this ceviche was a cool and refreshing appetizer. And if this hot weather continues, you can be sure I’ll be experimenting with many more ceviche recipes — perhaps even paired with a white wine, this is California after all.
INGREDIENTS FOR POACHING LIQUID
- 2 cups water
- 1/2 lemon, sliced into rounds
- 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon peppercorns
INGREDIENTS FOR CEVICHE
- 6 shrimp
- 6 scallops
- 4 whole squid
- oil for sauteing the scallops and squid
- 1 mango chopped for garnish
- cilantro for garnish
INGREDIENTS FOR LECHE DE TIGRE
- juice of 6 limes
- 1/2 teaspoon aji amarillo paste
- 1/2 cup fish stock
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
PREPARATION
In addition to the ingredients above, you’ll need a skillet to cook the squid and scallops, a glass bowl to marinate the seafood, and a pot to cook the shrimp.
- Put all the ingredients for the poaching liquid in a pot, bring to a boil and simmer for about 15 minutes.
- Wash and clean the squid, wash the scallops, wash, peel, and devein the shrimp. Set aside.
- Place shrimp in poaching liquid, remove with a slotted spoon when it begins to curl and turn bright pink, about 1 minute. Set aside.
- Saute scallops in a skillet with oil over medium heat, and cook until opaque, about 2 minutes total, or 1 minute each side. Remove from skillet and set aside.
- Cut squid tube in rings, and saute in a skillet with oil over medium heat, about 1 minute. Set aside.
- Combine all the ingredients for the leche de tigre in a glass bowl.
- Add the cooked shrimp, scallops, and squid, toss, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Serve in a small plate, and garnish with chopped mango and cilantro.
SERVINGS
6 servings.
NOTES
The measurements here are a good starting point, but if you want extra spice, you can modify the amount of aji amarillo. You can also add chopped habanero peppers that have been washed, with the seeds and veins removed.