Scallop & Prawn Ceviche Recipe

Prepare seafood

Pat scallops and prawns dry with paper towel. Trim scallops into roughly 1-inch pieces if needed. If prawns are larger, cut into 1/2–1-inch pieces. Place seafood in a nonreactive glass or ceramic bowl large enough to hold marinade and mix ingredients. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt over seafood and toss gently to coat.

Cure in citrus

Pour the citrus cure & dressing (prepared in next section) over the seafood so pieces are submerged. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20–30 minutes, tossing gently once at 15 minutes. The seafood should turn opaque and feel firm — this indicates it is 'cooked' by the acid. Do not overcure; total cure time should be 30 minutes max for tender texture.

Make lemongrass–pineapple dressing

In a small bowl, combine 3/4 cup fresh lime juice, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1/4 cup pineapple juice, minced white part of 1 lemongrass stalk, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon honey, 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Whisk vigorously until honey is dissolved and dressing is slightly emulsified. Taste and adjust seasoning — it should be bright and slightly sweet with herbal lemon notes. Reserve about 3 tablespoons of dressing for finishing/garnish; pour the remainder over the seafood to cure as directed in the Seafood section.

Prepare vegetables and herbs

While seafood cures, prepare mix-ins: thinly slice 1/2 cup red onion and rinse briefly under cold water, then drain well to mellow sharpness. Dice ripe avocado to yield about 1 cup. Roughly chop 1/4 cup cilantro leaves and finely chop 2 tablespoons mint. If using jalapeño, remove seeds and ribs and mince half of one to yield about 1/2 teaspoon. Combine avocado, red onion, cilantro, mint, and jalapeño in a separate bowl and gently toss with the reserved 3 tablespoons dressing to coat and prevent avocado browning.

Combine ceviche

After the seafood has cured 20–30 minutes and is opaque and firm, drain about half of the curing liquid from the seafood bowl (reserve if you want to add more later). Gently fold the seafood into the avocado-herb mixture. Check seasoning and add up to 1–2 tablespoons of reserved dressing if needed to achieve a lively but not watery consistency. Taste and adjust salt or pepper.

Spoon the ceviche into a shallow serving bowl or individual cups. Garnish with extra cilantro leaves and serve immediately with toasted yellow corn tortilla chips and lime wedges on the side. If you need to hold the ceviche for a short time, keep it chilled up to 30 minutes; note that texture will continue to firm and avocado may soften.