Smoked Ceviché
Simply put, ceviche is seafood cooked in citrus acid. Traditionally the acid used is lime juice, but lemon, orange, satsuma, etc. can be used.
There may be no other dish that relies on food safety more than this one. There are 2 musts here:
- The seafood must be kept cold
- The seafood must be incredibly fresh
The method used to smoke the seafood is what sets this dish apart. We used a unique method of capturing smoke with an inverted pot then sliding the lid containing the seafood under the pot, turning it over, and leaving it for 2-3 minutes. It was done in this way to avoid heating the seafood.
An important part of this technique is to make sure that all surface water is dried off of the seafood with paper towels.
This process was repeated 3 times and gave the seafood a light smokey flavor. I can be repeated many times over to strengthen the smoke flavor if desired.
Shrimp and low fat, salt-water fish are the traditional choices for this dish, but we used bass for our fish choice, and it was delicious.
Ingredients:
- 1 lb Louisiana gulf shrimp (60-80 count)
- 1 lb Bass or other lean, freshwater fish
- ¼ cup Red onion (finely chopped)
- ¼ cup Fresh cilantro (chopped)
- 1 cup Grape tomatoes (halved)
- ¾ cup Fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon Louisiana Love Seasoning Blends
- Kosher salt to taste
Method:
Smoke the seafood using the method above.
Combine all ingredients in a non-metallic bowl, let sit for 45 minutes to an hour stirring occasionally.
Shrimp Enchilidas
Don’t let this simple, straightforward dish fool you. It is rich, decadent, and really packs the flavor!
Be sure to cook this on the grill to take advantage of the great smoke which will find its way into the dish.
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Butter (unsalted)
- 1 medium White onion (chopped)
- 3-4 cloves Fresh garlic (chopped)
- 1 cup Dry white wine (chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, etc.)
- 1½ lbs Louisiana Gulf Shrimp (40-60 count)
- 1 quart Heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons Corn starch (dissolved in 2-3 tablespoons cold water)
- 9 Flour tortillas
- 2 cups Monterrey jack cheese (shredded)
- 1 cup Green onions (chopped)
- Louisiana Love Seasoning Blends to taste
Method:
Place a heavy pot over medium-high heat adding the olive oil and butter.
Sauté onions until clear being sure not to brown.
Add garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Deglaze with wine and reduce by half.
Add shrimp and cook until just pink and curled.
Add cream and bring to boil.
Add corn starch solution until desired thickness is reached.
Season with Louisiana Love to taste.
Add green onions, remove from fire, and let cool for 20-30 minutes stirring occasionally.
In an oiled casserole place a tortilla, spoon in some of the shrimp sauce, and fold in half.
Continue layering until all of the tortillas are used, pour the remainder of the sauce, and top with the cheese.
Return to the grill and cook until cheese is completely melted and sauce is bubbly.
Stay hungry!