The Refreshing Seafood Dish That Gets A Big Boost From Coconut Milk

When summertime hits and it's (almost) too hot outside to eat, coastal foodies start craving refreshing ceviche. With one quick upgrade — a coconut flavor infusion — this Peruvian classic satisfies all season long. To make ceviche, an acidic ingredient (typically citrus juice, but sometimes vinegar) "cooks" the raw fish or shellfish by denaturing its proteins, mimicking the flaky, firm texture of regular heat-cooked fish and making it totally safe to eat. Perhaps most importantly to our coconut variation, when that fish or shellfish denatures, its proteins also naturally release a sizable degree of their natural water content. In traditional ceviche, this expressed moisture serves as a flavorful broth for the other ingredients. But with an added splash of coconut milk, that bright fishy broth gains a touch of refreshing nutty sweetness and a slightly richer body.

This coconut upgrade is as impactful as it is simple. All it takes is one quick extra step. To do it, just pour a generous splash of canned coconut milk over your finished, assembled ceviche right before serving. That's it. For a thinner texture and more subtle taste, you can reduce the coconut milk in a saucepan on the stove before drizzling it over your ceviche. Just be sure to give that simmered milk a chance to cool down first, so as not to scald your delicate ceviche. Simmered or not, 1 cup of coconut milk per pound of fish or shellfish is a solid jumping-off point.

This coconut milk ceviche upgrade can also be a thrifty way to use up any leftover coconut milk drags sitting at the bottom of a can (hooray for zero-waste cooking). Here at Tasting Table, the unsweetened, organic store-brand from Sprouts Market is our favorite canned coconut milk brand.

To plate your ceviche, you could also add a splash of pineapple juice for even more tropical flair on the palate. Or, sprinkle a generous pinch of shredded coconut flakes over the ceviche to really drive that coconutty flavor profile home. Alternatively, you could spike your coconut ceviche with funky fish sauce, some shredded fresh basil, and dried nori flakes for an Asian-inspired spin.

Flaky white fish varieties facilitate maximum absorption of that flavorful coconut broth. For the most pronounced coconut ceviche, opt for cod, snapper, sea bass, flounder, or mahi-mahi. Or, make this coconut ceviche using shrimp. Evoke the tasting notes of the crispy coconut shrimp foodies order on tropical vacations alongside a gargantuan frozen daiquiri (swoon). Although, notably, shrimp requires one extra food safety prep step in order to serve raw. If you're going the shrimp ceviche route, blanch those raw shrimp in boiling, salted water, then hit 'em with an ice bath. Feel free to take a cue from our coconut-lime shrimp ceviche, which is dressed in a light, flavorful sauce made from canned coconut milk, spicy Fresno chiles, soy sauce, garlic, cilantro, and a shallot.