Name: Garlic Chile Crunch Shrimp Ceviche Cups with Watermelon-Cucumber Salsa
Prep time: 30 minutes, plus chill time
Yield: 24 servings
Ingredients: For the Garlic Chile Crunch finishing oil:; 3 Tbsp. olive oil (or neutral oil); 1 tsp. lime zest; For the sweet-hot honey-lime rim:; ½ tsp. lime zest; For the shrimp:; 1 lb. cooked shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails removed, chopped into ½ inch pieces; ¼ cup fresh lime juice, about 3 limes; 1 Tbsp. rice vinegar; ¼ cup red onion, finely diced; 1 jalapeño, seeded and finely diced; ½ cup diced avocado; 2 Tbsp. Cilantro, chopped; 1 Tbsp. Mint, chopped; 1 Tbsp. olive oil; For the watermelon cucumber salsa:; 1 cup seedless watermelon, finely diced; 1 cup Persian cucumber, finely diced; 1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice; 1 Tbsp. Cilantro, chopped; 1 Tbsp. Mint, chopped; For serving:; 24 2-oz. clear appetizer cups or tortilla scoop chips; Lime wedges

Garlic Chile Crunch Shrimp Ceviche Cups with Watermelon-Cucumber Salsa

Recipe by Savory Spice Test Kitchen

Fusion

Global Cuisines

Watermelon and chile — the "fricy" flavor combo food writers are calling the flavor of the summer. Honey-lime shrimp and crisp watermelon cucumber salsa stacked in cool, no-cook bites with a sweet-hot honey-lime rim.

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Serves 24 servings

Prep Time 30 minutes, plus chill time

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Garlic Chile Crunch Shrimp Ceviche Cups with Watermelon-Cucumber Salsa

Ingredients

For the Garlic Chile Crunch finishing oil:

3 Tbsp. Garlic Chile Crunch

3 Tbsp. olive oil (or neutral oil) 1 tsp. lime zest

1 tsp. Toasted Sesame Seeds

For the sweet-hot honey-lime rim:

1 Tbsp. Honey Powder

2 tsp. Garlic Chile Crunch, lightly crushed

½ tsp. lime zest

Pinch of Kosher Salt

For the shrimp: 1 lb. cooked shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails removed, chopped into ½ inch pieces ¼ cup fresh lime juice, about 3 limes 1 Tbsp. rice vinegar

1½ tsp. Honey Powder

½ tsp. Kosher Salt

¼ cup red onion, finely diced 1 jalapeño, seeded and finely diced ½ cup diced avocado 2 Tbsp. Cilantro, chopped 1 Tbsp. Mint, chopped 1 Tbsp. olive oil For the watermelon cucumber salsa: 1 cup seedless watermelon, finely diced 1 cup Persian cucumber, finely diced 1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

1 tsp. Honey Powder

Pinch of Kosher Salt

1 Tbsp. Cilantro, chopped 1 Tbsp. Mint, chopped For serving: 24 2-oz. clear appetizer cups or tortilla scoop chips Lime wedges

Toasted Sesame Seeds, for finishing

Directions

Step 1 In a small bowl, stir together 3 Tbsp. Garlic Chile Crunch, 3 Tbsp. olive oil, 1 tsp. lime zest, and 1 tsp. Toasted Sesame Seeds. Rest at least 30 min. at room temperature.

Step 2 With your fingertips, rub ½ tsp. lime zest into 1 Tbsp. Honey Powder until it looks like damp sand. Stir in 2 tsp. lightly crushed Garlic Chile Crunch and a pinch of Kosher Salt. Spread out on a small plate.

Step 3 In a medium bowl, whisk ¼ cup lime juice, 1 Tbsp. rice vinegar, 1½ tsp. Honey Powder, and ½ tsp. Kosher Salt until the powder fully dissolves. Add chopped shrimp, red onion, and jalapeño. Toss gently and chill 10 to 15 min. (no more than 30). The shrimp is already cooked, so this is a flavor soak, not a cure.

Step 4 Combine watermelon, cucumber, mint, and cilantro in a bowl and keep cold. Just before serving, stir in 1 Tbsp. lime juice, 1 tsp. Honey Powder, and a pinch of Kosher Salt.

Step 5 Drain and finish the shrimp. Lift the shrimp mixture out of the marinade with a slotted spoon into a clean bowl, reserving 1 to 2 Tbsp. of the marinade. Fold avocado, cilantro, mint, and 1 Tbsp. olive oil into shrimp, then spoon the reserved marinade back in for moisture.

Step 6 Run a lime wedge around the rim of each cup and press into the honey-lime rim mixture. For tortilla scoop chips, skip the rim and dust the mixture over the top instead. In the last 5 minutes before serving: spoon in the shrimp, top with a spoonful of salsa, and finish each with a small spoonful of Garlic Chile Crunch oil and a pinch of Toasted Sesame Seeds. Serve cold, with lime wedges.

Recipe Notes

Substitute tortilla scoop chips for thick cucumber rounds or butterhead lettuce cups. If you use thick-cut cucumber rounds, use a melon baller to make a shallow divot for the shirmp. If you use cups, 2-oz. clear appetizer cups show off the layers and the rim.

If you don't have Honey Powder, use 1 tsp. honey or agave in the marinade, ½ tsp. in the salsa, and skip the rim. Finish each cup with extra Garlic Chile Crunch and a pinch of flaky Kosher Salt.