Eva's Kitchen - Eva Longoria Parker [7]
ceviche
In the beach towns of Mexico, where fresh seafood is abundant, people happily eat raw fish and shellfish. I, however, do not. I make ceviche with cooked shrimp and crab. I do, however, serve my ceviche on traditional Mexican tostadas—crispy, fried corn tortillas available at the grocery store.
Use crab that you buy in the refrigerated section of the store. Don’t use the shelf-stable crab sold with the canned tuna fish; it doesn’t taste nearly as good in this fresh dish. The serrano pepper adds a great, spicy kick, but feel free to leave it out if you prefer. Clamato juice is a combination of tomato and clam juices. It can be found with other cocktail mixers at the grocery store. Cholula hot sauce is made in Mexico; it has a mild flavor and good heat. You’ll find it on the same grocery aisle with other hot sauces and condiments.
MAKES ABOUT 30 SERVINGS
1 pound lump crabmeat
2 pounds small shrimp (51 to 60 per pound), peeled, deveined, cooked, and chilled
4 ripe avocados, pitted, peeled, and cut into ½-inch dice
4 medium ripe tomatoes, cut into ½-inch dice
2 medium cucumbers, peeled and cut into ½-inch dice
1 large white onion, finely chopped
1 serrano pepper, seeded and finely chopped (optional)
1 bunch of fresh cilantro, leaves chopped
½ to 1 cup Clamato juice
Juice from 3 to 4 limes (6 to 8 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
Cholula Hot Sauce to taste (optional)
About 30 tostadas
1. In a large serving bowl, place the crab, shrimp, avocados, tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, serrano (if using), cilantro, Clamato juice, lime juice, salt, and hot sauce (if using). Stir with a fork until gently combined. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. To serve, place the serving bowl out with a stack of tostadas and a large number of small plates so guests can serve themselves.
goat cheese balls
When I first tasted goat cheese, it was definitely not love at first bite. However, when I combined it with two of my favorite ingredients—lemon and Japanese bread crumbs called panko—these addictive little morsels were born! These are especially good in place of the crumbled goat cheese on the Baby Spinach with Beets and Goat Cheese.
The balls are surprisingly easy to make, but they are extremely delicate, so handle them with care. Don’t skip the freezer step, which firms them up so they can more easily be breaded and fried, and don’t try to handle them with tongs as you might usually do when deep frying. Use a thin, long-handled tool such as a spider (a stainless steel handheld strainer) or slotted spoon. Read about deep-frying.
MAKES ABOUT 16 BALLS
1 11-ounce log soft goat cheese, at room temperature
¼ cup fresh Italian parsley leaves, finely chopped
Grated zest from 2 lemons
1 to 2 large eggs
1 cup panko
2 cups vegetable oil
Kosher salt to taste
1. In a medium bowl, place the goat cheese, parsley, and lemon zest. Use a fork to break up the cheese and combine the ingredients until well blended.
2. Use your hands to roll into balls about the size of golf balls or a little smaller and place them on a baking sheet. Place in the freezer for 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, beat one egg. Place the panko in a small shallow dish or bowl. Remove the goat cheese balls from the freezer. Coat a goat cheese ball in the egg and then dredge with panko. Transfer to a baking sheet or platter and repeat with the remaining goat cheese balls. Use the remaining egg if necessary.
4. In a large skillet, heat the oil to 350°F. over medium heat. Line a medium baking sheet with paper towels.
5. Gently add several goat cheese balls to the oil and fry until golden brown, 30 to 40 seconds. Gently turn them over and fry until golden brown on the other side, 30 to 40 seconds. Transfer to the paper towel–lined baking sheet and immediately sprinkle lightly with salt. Repeat with the remaining goat cheese balls. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
tostones
One of my closest girlfriends