Photography Credit: Elise Bauer

With the warm days of summer upon us, a great way to cool off is with ceviche!

Ceviche is typically made with red snapper that is “cooked” by the acidity of lime and lemon juice (see this ceviche recipe.)

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This version of ceviche is prepared with shrimp, which is first lightly cooked, and then marinated in the citrus juice.

My father, who generally doesn’t really like shrimp that much, loved this ceviche. (Gotta love it when they eat it up and ask for more!)

Why pre-cook the shrimp?

While the acidic marinade “cooks” (denatures) the proteins, it may not kill all of the bacteria. Traditionally ceviche is made with raw seafood, but even then it is recommended that pregnant women or people with compromised immune systems avoid it.

Personally I don’t find this as much of an issue with raw fish (think sushi, sashimi), but for some reason shellfish like shrimp and scallops can go bad much more easily. Unless your seafood is extremely fresh, I recommend lightly pre-cooking it first.