Peruvian Mixed Seafood Ceviche
2 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning
8 large shrimp (16-20 count), peeled and deveined
2 ounces cleaned baby octopus or squid
4 large sea scallops, tough side muscle removed, or 20 bay scallops
8 littleneck or Manila clams, scrubbed
8 mussels, scrubbed and debearded
4 ounces skinless, snapper fillet, cut into bite-sized pieces
¼ cup minced peeled celery
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
¼ teaspoon minced, seeded habanero or jalapeno chili
1 teaspoons kosher salt
½ cup fresh lime juice
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
¼ cup fresh orange juice
¼ cup very thinly sliced red onion
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Fill a medium pot about three-quarters full with water, add the Old Bay and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, fill a large bowl halfway with ice water.
Add the shrimp to the boiling water and cook just until firm and pink, about 30 seconds. Use tongs, a slotted spoon or a skimmer to transfer the shrimp to the ice water.
Add the octopus to the boiling water and cook for 45 seconds, then transfer to the ice water. Add the scallops to the boiling water and cook for 45 seconds, then transfer them to the ice water. Add the clams to the boiling water just until the shells open, about four to five minutes; as they open transfer them to a large plate or bowl. Add the mussels to the boiling water and cook just until the shells open, about 1 minutes; transfer them to the plate.
Remove seafood from ice water and drain well in a colander. Cut the shrimp and sea scallops into quarters (if using bay scallops, leave whole). Cut the octopus into bite-sized pieces.
Put all seafood and the celery, ginger, habanero and salt in a large nonmetallic bowl and stir together gently, but thoroughly. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Add the lime juice, lemon juice, orange juice, onion and cilantro to the seafood and stir gently to combine.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 8 hours, before serving.
Divide the ceviche among four bowls. If desired, garnish with corn-on-the-cob, sweet potato and/or corn nuts or popcorn.
Serves four.
"Cuisine à Latina" by Michelle Bernstein (2008 Houghton Mifflin Company, $30)