Ceviche

Ingredients

1/4 teaspoon crumbled saffron
1 (8-oz) bottle clam juice
2 tablespoons diced red onion
2 tablespoons diced, seeded yellow tomato
2 tablespoons chopped scallions
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 ripe avocado. Dice it and add some lime juice so it won’t turn brown.
2 tablespoon of ají Amarillo if you have it. This is a hot yellow chile paste available at Latino markets. Personally, I like to use Sambal Oelek which is a chili paste that I fell in love with when I visited Malaysia. It is easy to find at your local Kroeger
6 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 bowls of ice water
1 pound shelled and deveined shrimp
1/2-pound bay scallops (or quartered sea scallops)
One red and one green jalapeño chile, thinly sliced crosswise for garnish

Preparation

Toast the saffron, stirring over low heat, in a dry skillet until fragrant, then stir in the clam juice. Simmer until reduced to 1/2 cup, 5 to 6 minutes. Set saffron broth aside to cool.
Whisk together the aji Amarillo or Samba Oelek whichever you prefer, saffron broth, avocado, orange juice, and lime juice in a large bowl. Stir in diced and chopped vegetables and herbs.
Cut the shrimp into chunks. Poach shrimp in 4 quarts simmering salted water, stirring occasionally until just cooked through, 40 seconds. Scoop out shrimp with a slotted spoon and add to one bowl of ice water to cool.
Return water to a simmer and poach scallops the same way (40 seconds), transferring them to the second bowl of ice water and discarding the cooking water.
Drain the seafood well and toss it in the saffron broth mixture. Season with salt
Chill the ceviche, covered, 3 hours and serve garnished with sliced jalapeños and a sprig of cilantro.