America's Test Kitchen LogoCook's Country LogoCook's Illustrated LogoAmerica's Test Kitchen LogoCook's Country LogoCook's Illustrated Logo

Shrimp Ceviche with Tomato, Jícama, and Avocado

By Andrew Janjigian

Published on May 15, 2018

Time

50 minutes, plus 30 minutes chilling

Yield

Serves 4 to 6 as a main dish or 6 to 8 as an appetizer

Shrimp Ceviche with Tomato, Jícama, and Avocado

Ingredients

5 sprigs cilantro, plus ¼ cup coarsely chopped4 garlic cloves, lightly crushed and peeledKosher salt 1 ¼ pounds large (26 to 30 per pound) shrimp, peeled, tails removed, and deveined2 tomatoes, cored¾ cup lime juice (6 limes)1 jalapeño chile, stemmed and seeded3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 8 ounces jícama, peeled and cut into ¼-inch dice (1 cup)½ cup chopped Vidalia onion 1 avocado, halved, pitted, and cut into ½-inch pieces1 cup corn nuts 1 cup lightly salted popcorn

Before You Begin

Shrimp of other sizes may be used in this recipe; be sure to adjust the cooking time accordingly. If Vidalia onions are unavailable, you can substitute another sweet onion or ¼ cup of chopped red onion. Serving the corn nuts and popcorn separately allows diners to customize their ceviche to suit their taste.

Instructions

  1. Bring 2 cups water, cilantro sprigs, 2 garlic cloves, and 1 teaspoon salt to boil in large saucepan over high heat. Add shrimp, cover, and remove saucepan from heat. Let stand, stirring occasionally, until shrimp are just opaque, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer shrimp to bowl of ice and let cool. Once cool, cut shrimp in half lengthwise, then cut each half into ½-inch pieces. Transfer ⅓ cup (2½ ounces) cut shrimp to blender. Refrigerate remaining shrimp.
  2. Cut 1 tomato into ¼-inch pieces and set aside. Cut remaining tomato into quarters and add to blender with shrimp. Add lime juice, jalapeño, 2 tablespoons oil, 2½ teaspoons salt, and remaining 2 garlic cloves to blender and process until mixture is smooth, 30 to 60 seconds. Strain mixture through fine-mesh strainer set over large bowl, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard solids. (Sauce can be made up to 24 hours in advance and refrigerated. It will separate slightly; whisk to recombine before proceeding with recipe.)
  3. Add refrigerated shrimp, reserved tomato, jícama, and onion to bowl with sauce and toss to combine. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  4. Add chopped cilantro to ceviche and toss to combine. Portion ceviche into individual bowls; garnish each bowl with avocado and drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Serve, passing corn nuts and popcorn separately.
Shrimp Ceviche with Tomato, Jícama, and Avocado
Photography by Carl Tremblay.

Shrimp Ceviche with Tomato, Jícama, and Avocado

Save

Time

50 minutes, plus 30 minutes chilling

Yield

Serves 4 to 6 as a main dish or 6 to 8 as an appetizer

Ingredients

5 sprigs cilantro, plus ¼ cup coarsely chopped
4 garlic cloves, lightly crushed and peeled
Kosher salt
1 ¼ pounds large (26 to 30 per pound) shrimp, peeled, tails removed, and deveined
2 tomatoes, cored
¾ cup lime juice (6 limes)
1 jalapeño chile, stemmed and seeded
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces jícama, peeled and cut into ¼-inch dice (1 cup)
½ cup chopped Vidalia onion
1 avocado, halved, pitted, and cut into ½-inch pieces
1 cup corn nuts
1 cup lightly salted popcorn

Ingredients

5 sprigs cilantro, plus ¼ cup coarsely chopped
4 garlic cloves, lightly crushed and peeled
Kosher salt
1 ¼ pounds large (26 to 30 per pound) shrimp, peeled, tails removed, and deveined
2 tomatoes, cored
¾ cup lime juice (6 limes)
1 jalapeño chile, stemmed and seeded
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces jícama, peeled and cut into ¼-inch dice (1 cup)
½ cup chopped Vidalia onion
1 avocado, halved, pitted, and cut into ½-inch pieces
1 cup corn nuts
1 cup lightly salted popcorn

Ingredients

5 sprigs cilantro, plus ¼ cup coarsely chopped
4 garlic cloves, lightly crushed and peeled
Kosher salt
1 ¼ pounds large (26 to 30 per pound) shrimp, peeled, tails removed, and deveined
2 tomatoes, cored
¾ cup lime juice (6 limes)
1 jalapeño chile, stemmed and seeded
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces jícama, peeled and cut into ¼-inch dice (1 cup)
½ cup chopped Vidalia onion
1 avocado, halved, pitted, and cut into ½-inch pieces
1 cup corn nuts
1 cup lightly salted popcorn

Why This Recipe Works

Because shrimp “cook” much more slowly in acid as compared with fish and scallops, we first poached our shrimp in seasoned water and then cut them into bite-size pieces. To create a flavorful yet balanced marinade for our ceviche, we made what's known as a leche de tigre by blending lime juice, jalapeño, tomato, garlic, and extra-virgin olive oil along with a small amount of shrimp. Once strained, the liquid was an intensely flavorful and silky-textured emulsion. We marinated the poached shrimp in the leche for just 30 minutes to allow the flavors to penetrate and the shrimp to firm slightly. To complete the dish, we added diced tomato, crunchy jícama, Vidalia onion, creamy avocado, and chopped cilantro. We served the ceviche with corn nuts and popcorn, which provided salty crunch.

Before You Begin

Shrimp of other sizes may be used in this recipe; be sure to adjust the cooking time accordingly. If Vidalia onions are unavailable, you can substitute another sweet onion or ¼ cup of chopped red onion. Serving the corn nuts and popcorn separately allows diners to customize their ceviche to suit their taste.

Instructions

  1. Bring 2 cups water, cilantro sprigs, 2 garlic cloves, and 1 teaspoon salt to boil in large saucepan over high heat. Add shrimp, cover, and remove saucepan from heat. Let stand, stirring occasionally, until shrimp are just opaque, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer shrimp to bowl of ice and let cool. Once cool, cut shrimp in half lengthwise, then cut each half into ½-inch pieces. Transfer ⅓ cup (2½ ounces) cut shrimp to blender. Refrigerate remaining shrimp.
  2. Cut 1 tomato into ¼-inch pieces and set aside. Cut remaining tomato into quarters and add to blender with shrimp. Add lime juice, jalapeño, 2 tablespoons oil, 2½ teaspoons salt, and remaining 2 garlic cloves to blender and process until mixture is smooth, 30 to 60 seconds. Strain mixture through fine-mesh strainer set over large bowl, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard solids. (Sauce can be made up to 24 hours in advance and refrigerated. It will separate slightly; whisk to recombine before proceeding with recipe.)
  3. Add refrigerated shrimp, reserved tomato, jícama, and onion to bowl with sauce and toss to combine. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  4. Add chopped cilantro to ceviche and toss to combine. Portion ceviche into individual bowls; garnish each bowl with avocado and drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Serve, passing corn nuts and popcorn separately.

Gift This Recipe

Enjoyed this dish? Let others know by sharing it as a gift recipe.

This is a members' feature.