Recipe: Ceviche Marinated Scallops

Ceviche Marinated Scallops

Mexico
Makes 4 to 8 servings
Time 30 minutes

In any coastal region where you find limes, you'll find ceviche, going by one name or another. In Mexico, it's frequently made with a combination of scallops, shrimp, conch, and octopus (the last two usually precooked to the point of tenderness), and those are all good fish for the mix. If you can find spanking-fresh fillets of your local white fish, you can use that here too, although scallops alone are easy and fabulous. (They're also the safest shellfish to eat raw, but if the whole thing makes you nervous, see Mock Ceviche, page 35 of the book.) If you happen to have a couple of different colors of bell peppers, mix them; it'll make the dish really sparkle.

1 pound perfectly fresh sea scallops or a mixture of fish,
cut into 1/4-inch dice
1/2 cup minced bell pepper
1 teaspoon minced lime zest
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
Salt to taste
Cayenne to taste
Chopped fresh cilantro leaves for garnish

1. Toss together all the ingredients except the cilantro and let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.

2. Taste, adjust the seasoning, and serve, garnished with the cilantro.

Buy the Book!

from:
The Best Recipes in the World
by Mark Bittman
Broadway
Hardcover, 768 pages, $29.95
ISBN: 0-7679-0672-1
Recipe reprinted by permission.