Citrus Shrimp Ceviche with Avocados & Lemon Thyme Pesto Drizzle

Like shrimp and looking for something that is light, citrusy, summery and delicious? I’ve got the perfect recipe!

Don’t let all the ingredients scare you… together they make this ceviche so flavorful and so absolutley worth the little bit of chopping and scraping you’ll need to do.

I first learned about this dish while hosting a wine tasting for Wines of Chile through my wine blog, VineSleuth Uncorked. (Pretty soon I’ll share about the wines on that site, incase you are interested.)

I have to admit that I might not have jumped at the chance to make this on my own, but I am so glad that I did. It is actually quite simple to prepare and everyone I have served it to has loved it, grown ups and kids alike (I have a crew of shrimp lovers in our family!!)

Give it a try and tell me what you think…

Citrus Shrimp Ceviche with Avocados & Lemon Thyme Pesto Drizzle

Suggested wine pairing: Sauvignon Blanc

Serves 4

Ingredients

• Ger-Nis Citrus Finishing Salt
• 
1 pound medium-sized shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails removed
• 
2 tablespoons citrus champagne vinegar (substitute regular champagne vinegar )
• 1⁄4 cup citrus juice (a mixture of tangerine, meyer lemon or regular lemon and orange)
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 teaspoon lime zest
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 
1 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons fresh parsley, chopped fine
• 
1 1⁄2 teaspoons fresh cilantro, chopped fine
• 1 teaspoon fresh chives, chopped super-fine
• 1 teaspoon fresh mint, chopped fine
• 1⁄2 red onion, sliced super-thin
• A few greens: butter leaf lettuce, mesclum mix or micro greens
• 2 avocados, ripe but firm, peeled, pitted, halved and sliced
• Lemon Thyme Pesto Drizzle (recipe follows)

Directions

Bring a medium-sized sauce pan with water to a boil.

Add about one tablespoon of the citrus salts to the water.

Reduce the temperature to a low rolling bowling.

Add the shrimp and cook for 1 1⁄2 minutes.

In the meantime, prepare an ice bath. (A big bowl of ice water.)

Strain the shrimp and place them quickly in the ice bath, which will stop the cooking process.

When the shrimp are fully cooled and cold, strain and set aside.

Whisk together the vinegar, citrus juice, lime zest, honey and salt until well-mixed. Add the pepper, herbs, red onion and mix well.

Season mixture to taste.

Gently mix in the shrimp and allow to marinate for about 20 minutes. (The shrimp marinade is best served room temperature or cool, not cold, so ideally refrigerate for about ten minutes and then take out for the last ten.)

To serve, arrange greens of your choice on a small plate and arrange some avocado slices over the plate. Using a slotted spoon, spoon the marinated shrimp over the avocado and greens. Drizzle some lemon thyme pesto over the salad and garnish with citrus herb finishing salt.

Lemon Thyme Pesto Drizzle

1 cup pesto

Ingredients

1⁄4 cup fresh lemon thyme leaves (substitute basil if you cannot find lemon thyme)

1⁄4 cup fresh parsley leaves
1⁄2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon Ger-Nis Finishing Salt

Directions

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Recipe courtesy of Ger-Nis Culinary and Herb Center