40 min
Malaysian-Style Char Kway Teow with Prawns, Chicken & Bean Sprouts
Wide rice noodles pick up smoky wok flavor with juicy prawns, tender chicken, fish cake, eggs and crisp bean sprouts in a balanced savory-sweet sauce.
Photo: Ceibos / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Seafood
Ecuadorian-Style Shrimp Ceviche with Avocado & Lime Broth
Poached shrimp chill in a bright tomato-lime broth with red onion and cilantro, then finish with creamy avocado and crisp plantain chips.
Directions
Mellow the onion
Toss the sliced onion with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 cup lime juice. Cover with cold water, rest 10 minutes, then drain and rinse. This softens the raw edge while preserving crunch.
Poach the shrimp safely
Bring the 6 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt to a gentle simmer in a wide saucepan. Add shrimp and cook 2 to 4 minutes, stirring once, until opaque and several pieces reach 145°F in their centers. Transfer immediately to a clean bowl of ice water.
Save and chill the broth
Measure 1 cup clear poaching liquid into a heat-safe container and cool it over the ice bath. Drain the shrimp thoroughly once cold; cut half into two pieces and leave the rest whole for a generous photographed presentation.
Mix the lime-tomato broth
Whisk the remaining 1/2 cup lime juice, orange juice, tomato juice, chilled poaching liquid, olive oil, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and optional sugar. Taste for a bright balance; add water by the tablespoon only if aggressively tart.
Chill the ceviche
Combine shrimp, onion, diced tomato, cilantro and broth in a nonreactive bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 45 to 60 minutes. Keep the mixture at 40°F or colder and do not leave it at room temperature to marinate.
Finish with avocado
Ladle ceviche and plenty of pale pink broth into chilled shallow bowls, keeping several shrimp visible. Add avocado slices on top to match the photograph. Serve plantain chips or popcorn alongside and pass hot sauce separately.
Why this works
Why it worksBrief poaching to a verified 145°F makes the shrimp safe before they enter the acidic marinade; lime is used for flavor, not as a substitute for cooking.
Why it worksChilled poaching liquid carries shrimp flavor into the tomato-citrus broth without diluting it with plain water.
Why it worksAvocado is added only at serving so it remains green, intact and visually distinct above the brothy ceviche.
Useful kitchen gear
Tools that make this easier.
Compare the function and specifications first; skip anything your kitchen already handles well.
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Compare on AmazonInstant-read thermometerCheck several shrimp through the thickest part for 145°F before chilling them in the citrus broth.See current options →
Compare on AmazonNonreactive mixing bowlsStainless steel safely holds the acidic lime-tomato marinade without absorbing flavors or reacting with citrus.See current options →
Compare on AmazonCitrus pressFresh lime and orange juice form the bright brothy base, and a press speeds the measured quantity.See current options →
Swaps & notes
Easy swaps
- Use thawed frozen shrimp, patting them dry before poaching; do not use pre-cooked shrimp because a second cook can make them rubbery.
- For a thinner, brighter broth, replace up to 1 cup tomato juice with additional chilled poaching liquid.
- Saltine crackers can replace plantain chips or popcorn when you want a neutral, crisp accompaniment.
Cook notes
- Total time includes about 60 minutes of chilling; active work is roughly 40 minutes.
- Use a glass, stainless-steel or food-safe plastic bowl. Reactive aluminum or unlined copper can give acidic ceviche a metallic flavor.
- Shrimp must reach 145°F before chilling. Check several of the thickest pieces rather than relying only on color or curl.
- Tomato juice salt levels vary widely. Taste the finished broth before adding more salt.
- Keep the communal bowl mild and let each diner add hot sauce at the table.
Storage
Refrigerate the ceviche without avocado in a covered nonreactive container at 40°F or colder for up to 2 days. Add fresh avocado only when serving. Do not freeze the assembled dish; the vegetables and citrus broth lose their texture. Discard portions left out more than 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F.
Questions
Does lime juice cook raw shrimp safely?
Acid changes the texture and color of seafood but does not provide the same reliable pathogen reduction as heat. This recipe poaches shrimp to 145°F first, then chills it in citrus for flavor.
Can I make the ceviche the night before?
Yes. Prepare it without avocado, cover and refrigerate overnight. The onion softens more with time, so add half the cilantro and all avocado just before serving for fresher texture.
Why is Ecuadorian ceviche so brothy?
This style is served with a generous tomato-citrus liquid rather than as a mostly dry chopped salad. Chilled poaching liquid reinforces the shrimp flavor while keeping the broth light.
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Ecuadorian-Style Shrimp Ceviche with Avocado & Lime Broth
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1. Mellow the onionToss the sliced onion with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 cup lime juice. Cover with cold water, rest 10 minutes, then drain and rinse. This softens the raw edge while preserving crunch.
2. Poach the shrimp safelyBring the 6 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt to a gentle simmer in a wide saucepan. Add shrimp and cook 2 to 4 minutes, stirring once, until opaque and several pieces reach 145°F in their centers. Transfer immediately to a clean bowl of ice water.
3. Save and chill the brothMeasure 1 cup clear poaching liquid into a heat-safe container and cool it over the ice bath. Drain the shrimp thoroughly once cold; cut half into two pieces and leave the rest whole for a generous photographed presentation.
4. Mix the lime-tomato brothWhisk the remaining 1/2 cup lime juice, orange juice, tomato juice, chilled poaching liquid, olive oil, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and optional sugar. Taste for a bright balance; add water by the tablespoon only if aggressively tart.
5. Chill the cevicheCombine shrimp, onion, diced tomato, cilantro and broth in a nonreactive bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 45 to 60 minutes. Keep the mixture at 40°F or colder and do not leave it at room temperature to marinate.
6. Finish with avocadoLadle ceviche and plenty of pale pink broth into chilled shallow bowls, keeping several shrimp visible. Add avocado slices on top to match the photograph. Serve plantain chips or popcorn alongside and pass hot sauce separately.