Ceviche Mixto - Frozen Coconut Shell

At Palo Alto Grill, we put a fun and interesting twist on Ceviche.  We use liquid nitrogen to freeze a dome of coconut milk, which we fill with the lime marinated seafood, allowing the diner to crack their way in.  The "Mixto" which we use in our ceviche is a combination of tilapia, shrimp, scallops and squid, because I enjoy the way all the different textures combine and contrast.

Ingredients:

1/2 pound tilapia, cubed 3/4"

1/2 pound baby shrimp, raw

1/2 pound squid, cleaned and quickly sauteed

1/2 pound bay scallops

1 ea red onion, fine dice

3 ea jalapenos, fine dice

1 bunch basil, chopped

1 Tbs garlic, minced

1 1/2 cup lime juice

1/2 cup orange juice

Salt, TT

(note, the squid must be pre-sauteed or it becomes very rubbery in ceviche)

- Simply combine all the seafood and chopped aromatics with citrus juice in a bowl.

- Place plastic wrap directly on top to completely submerge and allow to marinate, refrigerated until shrimp turn pink and fish turns opaque.

Translucent fish before

Opaque fish after

Translucent blue shrimp before

Opaque pink shrimp after

The mix that we use for coconut sorbet is coconut milk, sweetened to taste.  If you would like to try this recipe, but are unable to obtain liquid nitrogen, feel free to drizzle this mix over your ceviche, freeze in a mold and scrape like a granite or freeze into sorbet and top with a scoop, it would be delicious in any of these applications.

The liquid nitrogen gets the ladle very cold 

(don't lick it)

Allow the condensation in the air to form a thin layer of frost, then dip it into the coconut milk, allowing it a few seconds to build up thickness.

After the coconut shell has frozen, apply gentle but constant pressure to the base of the dome until it releases from the ladle.  It should be surprisingly easy.  If not, clean the ladle and try again.

We serve our ceviche tucked inside its coconut shell, topped with lemongrass and accompanied by taro chips.

Really cool beans.

Ryan Shelton