Scallop And Prawn Ceviche Recipe

Prepare seafood

Rinse scallops and prawns under cold water and pat very dry with paper towels. If scallops are large, cut into 1/2-inch slices; if small bay scallops, leave whole. Cut prawns into 1/2-inch pieces. Place all seafood in a nonreactive glass or ceramic bowl.

Partial cure (optional for texture/safety)

If you prefer a slightly cooked texture and extra safety, pour 1/2 cup of the lime juice over seafood, toss, cover, and refrigerate for 10–12 minutes. For a raw-style ceviche, skip this step and use the full acid in later step to marinade briefly.

Combine remaining lime juice, lemon juice and fish stock/clam juice (if using) in a measuring cup. Pour mixture over the seafood. Toss gently to coat. If you did the partial cure step, add the remaining 1/2 cup lime juice now so total equals about 1 cup. Cover and refrigerate: for a raw-style ceviche, marinate 12–20 minutes until scallops and prawns turn opaque but remain tender; for a firmer, more 'cooked' ceviche, refrigerate 30–45 minutes. Do not over-marinate or seafood will become tough.

While seafood is marinating, finely dice the red onion, bell pepper, cucumber and jalapeño, and chop the cilantro. Place them in a bowl and toss with a pinch (about 1/4 tsp) of salt to soften the onion and draw out a little moisture. Let sit 5–10 minutes, then drain any excess liquid.

After the seafood has marinated the desired time, drain off about half of the marinade to avoid an overly acidic final texture, reserving a few tablespoons to dress and flavor the ceviche.

Add the diced vegetables and chopped cilantro to the bowl with the seafood. Gently fold to combine so vegetables are evenly distributed.

Drizzle the extra-virgin olive oil over the ceviche, add sea salt, black pepper and optional ground cumin. Gently toss to coat, tasting and adjusting salt and pepper as needed. If mixture tastes too acidic, add a teaspoon of olive oil at a time until balanced.

Just before serving, fold in the diced avocado gently so it doesn’t mash. Spoon ceviche into chilled bowls or onto tostada shells.

Garnish with microgreens or extra cilantro and a few additional small lime wedges if desired. Serve immediately with tortilla chips or tostadas on the side.

Leftovers: keep refrigerated in an airtight container, consume within 24 hours. Note that acidity will continue to ‘cook’ and soften seafood and avocado, so texture will change.