Shrimp Ceviche Stuffed Avocado

Story provided by Karyl Henry, KarylsKulinaryKrusade.com

Shrimp has always been one of my favorite types of seafood. It’s light, quick-cooking and versatile, and there are endless ways to prepare it.

Most of the time I eat shrimp in hot dishes, like in my Easy Shrimp Scampi. And I always save the shells and tails, as they make a fabulous shrimp stock for my Spicy Garlic Shrimp Pasta.

While I love cold shrimp recipes, I rarely ever make them at home. So as we’re heading into summertime, it’s the perfect opportunity to change that, so I made Shrimp Ceviche Stuffed Avocado.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

It’s an easy dish to make for a crowd.
You can customize it to your preference.
It’s perfect as a snack or light meal.

IMPORTANT SHRIMP TIPS

Authentic Shrimp Ceviche uses fresh shrimp that is “cooked” in lime juice until the shrimp is translucent.

If you go that route, use the absolute freshest shrimp possible. Go to a fishmonger you trust or, if you are lucky enough to live near a seafood dock, go get it there!

TEST FAIL AND FOOLPROOF SOLUTION

Failure: I tested the raw cooking method with frozen shrimp that was thawed. After TWELVE HOURS it still wasn’t translucent. That’s a big thumbs down for me.

Solution: Poach the raw shrimp for 2-3 minutes and then finish cooking in lime juice. This ensures that the shrimp cooks through, and it’s ready to go in about 20 minutes.

Immediately after poaching, pour the shrimp into a strainer and run it under cold water for 5 seconds to stop the cooking.

Another solution is to buy pre-cooked shrimp. But since I always have frozen raw shrimp on hand, I just use that.

You can use any size shrimp you want since the shrimp gets cut up for serving. The only thing the shrimp size affects is how long it takes to poach. The smaller the shrimp, the faster it cooks.

INGREDIENT TIPS FOR SHRIMP CEVICHE STUFFED AVOCADO

Use fresh lime juice! Limes are plentiful and inexpensive, and plump limes will have tons of juice.

You will need about 1 cup of lime juice for 1 pound of shrimp. That will be about 6 limes, depending on size. I always get more limes than I think I’ll need, just in case.

Juicing the limes:

Roll the limes on the counter back and forth under the palm of your hand a few times to help release the juices.
I don’t have a citrus squeezer so I cut the limes in quarters and squeeze out as much juice as possible.
If the lime is a little bit hard, heat it in the microwave for about 10 seconds and then roll.

I keep the skin on the cucumber, but that is a personal preference. If you don’t want the skin, then just peel the cucumber before dicing.

I use grape or cherry tomatoes because I always have them on hand, but you can use your favorite variety.

The ribs and seeds of the jalapeno pack all the heat, so make sure to remove both before dicing. Of course, if you’re a heat lover, you can leave both and the lime juice will help tone it down some.

You need to let the Shrimp Ceviche rest for an hour before serving. This allows the flavors to develop, and it makes a huge difference.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

Peel and devein shrimp, if necessary. Save the shells and tails to make stock later!

Bring a pot of water to a boil, and add cold shrimp. Poach the shrimp for 2 minutes, until the shrimp just turns pink. Pour the shrimp into a strainer, and rinse under cold, running water for 5-10 seconds to stop cooking.

Cut the shrimp into 1/2″ pieces and transfer to a bowl. Add lime juice and rest in the fridge for 15 minutes.

Add the cucumber, red onion, tomato, jalapeno, and cilantro to the bowl. Add salt and pepper, stir to combine, and rest in the fridge for one hour.

Cut avocados in half lengthwise, and carefully remove the seed.

Using a slotted spoon, scoop the Shrimp Ceviche into the avocado halves. Season again lightly with salt and pepper, garnish with cilantro, and serve

SERVINGS, MAKE-AHEAD AND LEFTOVERS

I plan 2 Shrimp Ceviche Stuffed Avocados per person as a light meal, or 1 per person as an appetizer.

You can make the Shrimp Ceviche up to 8 hours ahead, but don’t stuff the avocados until about an hour before serving.

Shrimp Ceviche is best on the day it’s made. And believe me, it won’t last long with a crowd! If you’ve got extra after stuffing the avocados, serve with my Baked Tortilla Chips.