Servings: 3  cups ceviche, enough for 12 tostadas

INGREDIENTS

  • 4 cloves, unpeeled
  • 1/2 pound raw sea scallops, cleaned
  • 1/2 pound raw large shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 6 ounces (about 2 to 3 medium) fresh tomatillos, husked, rinsed and roughly chopped
  • 1 ripe avocado, cut in half, pitted and flesh scooped from the skin
  • 1/2 to 1 fresh serrano chile, stemmed and roughly chopped
  • 2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lime juice
  • 1 cup loosely packed, roughly chopped cilantro, plus extra leaves for garnish
  • Salt
  • 1/2 medium cucumber, peeled if you wish and cut into ½-inch pieces
  • 12 tostadas, store bought or homemade

INSTRUCTIONS

In a small (8-inch) dry skillet, roast the garlic over medium heat, turning regularly until they’re soft and blackened in spots, 10 to 15 minutes.

While the garlic is roasting heat a medium-large (4- to 6-quart) heavy pot of water over medium high.  When the water comes to a boil, drop in the scallops, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the scallops until just barely cooked through (still transluscent in the center), about 3 minutes.  Using a slotted spoon, plunge the scallops to a bowl of ice water for a couple of minutes to quickly stop the cooking.

Raise the heat and bring the water to a boil again.  Drop in the shrimp, reduce the heat and simmer until the shrimp is just barely cooked through, about 2 minutes.  Plunge the shrimp into a bowl of ice water for a few minutes to stop the cooking.  Drain the seafood well and cut into ½ inch pieces and scoop into a large mixing bowl.

Peel and roughly chop the garlic and scoop it in a food processor or blender along with  the tomatillos, half of the avocado, serrano, lime juice, cilantro and ½ teaspoon salt.  Blend until smooth and pour over the seafood.

Cut the remaining half of the avocado into ½-inch pieces and add to the mixture along with the diced cucumber. Stir gently to combine well.

To serve, spoon about ¼ cup of the mixture onto tostadas and garnish with fresh cilantro leaves.