CIVICHE

All over South America, people "cook" fish by soaking it in citrus juice. After marinating several hours, the seafood turns opaque and firm, with a texture half-way between sushi and traditionally cooked fish. Ceviche goes fast at a party -- especially in the summer when the citrusy, fresh bite feels especially right. There's a lot of room for improvisation here: buy whichever type of sweet peppers look good; play with the proportion of citrus juices and control the heat with your choice of hot peppers.

1 ½ pounds large (about 20 per pound) shrimp, shelled and deveined

1 yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into thin strips about 2 inches long

1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into thin strips about 2 inches long

Half a small red onion, cut into thin slivers

1 small bunch cilantro, thick stems removed, the rest chopped coarsely

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon fine sea or kosher salt

1 Scotch bonnet, jalapeno or hot chili pepper of your choice, stemmed and minced

12 lemons

8 limes

4 oranges

Toss the shrimp, yellow and red pepper, onion, cilantro, salt and chili pepper together in a bowl to mix them evenly.

Pack into a non-reactive container (a 2-quart glass jar works well).

Squeeze the citrus, strain out any seeds and pour over the shrimp and vegetables. There should be enough juice to cover the shrimp and vegetables, if not add more.

Seal the container and refrigerate until the shrimp is opaque, 12 hours to one day.

Drain, discard most of the liquid and pile the shrimp and vegetables in a serving bowl.

Great for tacos and tostadas with avocado.