start a party with ceviche appetizers: three ways!

Danielle Wecksler, the absolute wonder-woman, and owner of Plateful Solutions welcomed me into her charming home today to do a video for the "Lunch and Learn" series. She asked me to bring some recipe ideas that were light and summery and I instantly thought of ceviche. We are so lucky to have such an abundance of fresh and high-quality seafood here in Charleston.

Halibut, shrimp, scallops. Boom, boom, boom!

Video here.

Danielle was the manager of Charleston Cooks! for almost ten years, a retail kitchen store and cooking school with three locations around South Carolina. She has written Southern cookbooks and is full of creative and contagious energy. You will catch on while watching our video!

You can reference the recipes below and if you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me personally or post a comment on the blog! Cheers! —Danielle took the gorgeous food photos.

The three ceviches we made were halibut ceviche verde cucumber cups, shrimp ceviche tostadas, and watermelon scallop ceviche.

Halibut Ceviche Verde Cucumber Cups

Serves 4

1/2 pound skinless halibut, or other firm white fish like snapper or flounder

1/4 cup lime juice

1 tomatillo, chopped

1/4 cup red onion, diced

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

1/2 jalapeno, seeded and diced

2-3 scallions, green parts only thinly sliced

1 large cucumber

Cut the fish into 1/2-inch pieces. Place fish in a small mixing bowl.

Add lime juice and a pinch of salt to the bowl, and stir to combine.

Place fish in refrigerator for 30 minutes to 1 hour, until opaque and cooked through.

Meanwhile, place tomatillo, red onion, cilantro,jalapeno, and scallions in a medium mixing bowl and stir to combine.

When the fish is cooked, use a slotted spoon to add them to the bowl with the vegetables, and stir again to combine.

Peel cucumber and cut into 1-inch segments. Use a melon baller to scoop out the seeds to create a hole in the center of the cucumber, making a cup.

When ready to plate, fill the cucumber cups with the fish and vegetable mixture. Garnish with more cilantro and scallions.

Shrimp Ceviche “Tostadas”

Serves 4

1/2 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/2 orange or yellow bell pepper, seeded and diced

1/2 jalapeno, seeded and diced

1/4 cup cucumber, seeded and diced

2 tablespoons red onion, diced

1 small Roma tomato, seeded and diced

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped

Big tortilla chips, rounds, or scoops

1/4 avocado, thinly sliced

Lime wedges

Cut shrimp into 1/2-inch pieces. Place shrimp in a small mixing bowl.

Add lime and lemon juice to the bowl with a pinch of salt, and stir to combine.

Place shrimp in refrigerator for 30 minutes to 1 hour, until opaque and cooked through.

Meanwhile, place bell pepper, jalapeno, cucumber, red onion and tomato in a medium mixing bowl, and stir to combine.

When shrimp are cooked, use a slotted spoon to add them to the bowl with the vegetables, and stir again to combine.

Mix together mayonnaise and cilantro in another small bowl.

When ready to plate, top a tortilla chip with some of the cilantro mayonnaise, then some of the shrimp and vegetable mixture. Garnish with avocado slices and a squeeze of lime.

Watermelon Scallop Ceviche​

Serves 4

1/2 pound sea scallops

1 orange, zested and juiced

1 lemon, zested and juiced

1 lime, zested and juiced

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1/2 shallot, minced

1/2 jalapeno, seeded and chopped

1 tablespoon ginger

1 clove garlic, grated or pressed

1 tablespoon honey

1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil

1 cup watermelon, cubed

1 watermelon radish,

If using large diver scallops, thinly slice into rounds. Place scallops in a medium mixing bowl.

Add orange, lemon, and lime zest and juice to the bowl with a pinch of salt, and stir to combine.

Place scallops in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 1 hour, until opaque and cooked through. Remove scallops from the bowl using a slotted spoon, and discard the marinade.

Place vinegar, shallot, jalapeno, ginger, garlic, and honey in a measuring cup, and whisk to combine.

Slowly pour in the oil, whisking constantly to emulsify.

When ready to plate, lay the scallop slices on a plate. Garnish with the watermelon cubes, and vinaigrette. Serve immediately.