There comes a time when every soul must face the inevitable question: what recourse is left one when one has a hankering to whip up a homemade poke, only to discover that the supermarket is completely out of ogo? Well, what happened to this dream deferred was a channeling of that desire for minimally processed seafood into another cultural milieu. All the mollusks and crustaceans I had stowed in my shopping basket (mussels, octopus, and shrimp, to be specific) were now destined to become part of a ceviche with a tomato and avocado base. A disappointment this was not: in fact, I'd say this might have hit the spot better than the poke ever could have, given my erstwhile hankering for citrus. Anyhow, here's the recipe, which is one of the simplest I've posted to date:
- ⅓ lb. pre-cooked mussels
- ⅓ lb. pre-cooked cocktail shrimp
- ½ lb. pre-cooked octopus
- 1 large avocado, diced
- 1 large beefsteak tomato, diced
- 2 limes
- 1 tsp. sesame seeds
- 3 dried red chilis (medium to hot)
- 1 Tbsp Tabasco sauce
- ½ Tbsp. coarse sea salt (or to taste)
- 2 tsp. coarse ground black pepper
- 2 tsp. whole cumin seeds
- 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
Dice the mussels and octopus, and remove the tails from the cocktail shrip (should any chitin be present). Toss the avocado, tomato, spices, sesame seeds, and seafood together in a large serving bowl. Add the Tabasco sauce and olive oil and squeeze the juice from the limes into the mixture and mix thoroughly. Set in the refrigerator to chill, preferably for an hour or two. Serve cold with tortilla chips or warmed corn tortillas, along with perhaps a side salad and a piquant tempranillo.
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