Zesty seafood in Playa Del Carmen in Mexico

Playa Del Carmen is located on the coast of the Caribbean Sea, close to Mexico s tourist destination of Cancun. Although the location sounds exotic, it is actually quite similar to the Turkish coast around Antalya and Kemer; a once beautiful coast line now crowded with holiday resorts, five-star hotels and golf courses.

The sea, snorkeling and history are vast, yet clouded by the shortsighted, profit-hungry tourism industry. Regardless, the weather is warm, the people are extremely friendly and seafood is extremely fresh!

For fine dining options, those who are getting sick and tired of or just not a big fan of traditional greasy Mexican food and craving a light seafood fare near Playa Del Carmen, the Mandarin Oriental Riviera Maya s water front restaurant Ceviche Cha Cha Cha on the sandy Yucatan beach is exceptionally enjoyable.

Citrus-marinated seafood: Ceviche
Ceviche Cha Cha Cha s chefs prepare a menu with an appealing variety of ceviches, tiraditos and sushi with the catch of the day and other seafood selections. For those not familiar with ceviche, it is a form of citrus-marinated seafood appetizer very popular in Latin America. Each country adds its own twist to the ceviche dish. For example in Mexico and other countries in Central America, it is served in bowls and cups with crackers, or as a tostada topping and taco filling. Some popular bases for Mexican ceviches are shrimp, octopus, squid, tuna, and mackerel from that region s coasts. Blended sauce ingredients are generally salt, lemon, tomatoes, onion, chile, avocado, coriander, and parsley.

Ceviche is also easy to make with ingredients from Turkey. It s rather simple yet tasteful, making for a zesty light appetizer or main course.

According to Fernando Pulido, chef of the oceanfront restaurant of Mandarin Oriental Riviera Maya, in Mexico seafood used for ceviche is not raw but pre-cooked.

As part of a Mexican food festival, Pulido gave a cooking class on Mexican cuisine and demonstrated Acapulco-style ceviche:


Shrimp Ceviche Acapulco Style

z 4-5 servings

z 6 c water

z 1 tbsp salt

z Coriander leaves

z ü kilo medium shrimps, peeled,

heads and tails removed

z Ice



Sauce

z 2/3 c tomato ketchup

z 1/3 c orange juice

z 1 tsp horseradish (or substitute

with grainy mustard)

z 1 medium-size onion, finely chopped

z 1 large or 2 small tomatoes,

finely chopped

z 1 bunch (about 30 grams) coriander

z 3 tbsp olive oil

z 2 large garlic, chopped

z Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

To serve

z 1 soft avocado, sliced

z Coriander leaves

z Tortilla chips

In a medium pot, bring water, salt and coriander leaves to a rolling boil. Add the peeled shrimps and let boil for just 5-10 seconds or until the shrimps turn pinkish orange. Immediately remove shrimps from the water and transfer to a bowl of ice to cool. For the sauce, blend together ketchup, orange juice and horseradish. Add onions, tomatoes and coriander and mix well. Set aside. Heat olive oil in a small pan and sauté garlic until almost burned. Pour both the garlic and the olive oil into the ketchup-onion mixture and mix well. Then season it with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

To serve: Divide the sauce equally in four to five individual serving bowls. Spoon some of the cooked shrimps into each bowl. Garnish with avocado slices and coriander leaves. Serve with tortilla chips.

Additional tips: Use a slotted spoon for lifting the shrimps from the boiling water so the liquid drips off. Do not overcook the shrimps so they don t get tough. Other seafood such as squid and white fish can also be substituted for shrimp. Chef Fernando recommends, if using fish, add vinegar to boiling water so the fish does not disintegrate.

Acapulco-style ceviche by the chef of the restaurant Fernando Pulido


Mandarin Oriental Riviera Maya

Playa Del Carmen Mexico 77710 Tel: +52 984 877 3888