| |
| |
|
2 pounds
assorted fish and shellfish, such as
oysters, scallops, shrimp, corvine sea
bass, octopus, squid or snapper (Any
assortment or one single variety will
work)
1 medium yellow or red onion, finely
diced
1 Anaheim chili, diced
1 small red or yellow sweet pepper,
diced
1 cup lime juice, freshly squeezed
1⁄4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp crushed dried oregano
1⁄4 cup finely minced cilantro
4 cloves garlic, crushed
salt to taste
1. Clean and prepare fish, cutting fillets
into 3⁄4 inch pieces. Small shellfish
can remain whole.
2. Cut squid and octopus into like-size
pieces.
3. Combine the remaining ingredients
in a bowl and stir to combine. Pour
over fish and allow to stand at least
one hour or up to 24 hours, refrigerated.
4. Serve chilled, room temperature,
or warm.
|
|
Picture yourself spread out
on pristine white sand, cool drink in hand, soaking
up the intense summer sun, exerting yourself only
to take a dip into the clear, refreshing Caribbean
Ocean . . . this is Puerto Rico. The only things
missing from this scene are a cabana boy and some
seriously delicious food! While I travel as often
as I can to this enchanting island, it is still
not enough to satisfy my craving for Puerto Rican
culture and cuisine. To tide myself over between
visits, I have often thrown a Puerto Rican-themed
party right in my backyard. My guests are intrigued
by the originality of it all and I am perfectly
in my element, as a Puerto Rican Beach Party does
not have to be time-consuming or complicated.
One thing Puerto Ricans know
and are passionate about is good food and good drink.
Get the party started with by shaking up a fruity
libation of one part passion fruit puree and one
part Select Bacardi Rum. Shake in a cocktail
shaker and pour into an ice-filled glass
and top with lemon-lime soda. Simple and delicious.
The passion fruit puree is available at local Latin
American markets and keeps quite nicely in the freezer.
And while you may not be able to find all of the
different types of rum available in Puerto Rico,
there is quite a good selection here in the U.S.
these days, as nearly 80% of rum consumed in the
United States hails from the island. If you choose,
you can mix the puree and rum together ahead of
time and chill. Add the soda right before serving.
As enticing as it may be, you cannot have a successful
party with rum cocktails alone. A Puerto Rican beach
party would not be complete without serving ceviche.
Ceviche, which is often spelled seviche or cebiche,
is seafood prepared in a centuries old method of
cooking by contact with acidic citrus juice instead
of heat. It can be eaten as a first course or main
dish, depending on what is served with it. I've
included a recipe here that my Puerto Rican friend
and I developed after our last trip "home."
Lucky me! Like the cocktail, this dish can be prepared
ahead of time. Make it the day before and let it
sit, mingling the flavors together. The best part
about this dish is the versatility, as you can serve
it whatever temperature pleases you. I personally
like it at room temperature because it allows you
to experience the subtleties of flavors. The best
thing you can do for this dish is buy the freshest
fish possible.
There you have it . . . an island-themed party with
only two hard fast rules - good rum and fresh fish!
Relax and have a ball, a beach ball of course, at
your very own Puerto Rican Beach Party! Eat well
and be safe!
|
