Spot Prawn Ceviche with Prawn-Infused Leche de Tigre

1. Make spot prawn stock. In a small pot just large enough to fit the spot prawn shells in a single layer, fry the shells over medium heat in a neutral cooking oil until shells pick up some color, about 3 or 4 minutes. Then, add 1 cup of water and season with a ½ teaspoon of salt. If you have any veggie scraps from the onion, garlic, and cilantro, you can toss those into the pot, too. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, start making the leche de tigre. In a blender, combine a ½ teaspoon of salt with lime juice, garlic, cilantro, a small piece of jalapeño or habanero (you can always add more, so have some restraint here), 2 tablespoons of red onion, and 2 or 3 cubes of ice. Blend until smooth, then transfer to a small metal mixing bowl. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to use.

3. In a separate bowl, make an ice bath for the spot prawns. Once the prawn stock has simmered for 20 minutes, strain the stock through a mesh sieve, pressing down on the shells to express any liquid trapped in them. Discard the shells and any veggie scraps, then return stock to the pot. You should have at least ⅔ cup of spot prawn stock left; add a splash of water if needed to bring the stock level up so that it is just deep enough to nearly submerge the spot prawns. Bring to a boil, then add spot prawns to the stock to poach. Immediately remove from the burner and put a lid on the pot, allowing the residual heat to gently poach the spot prawns until just opaque, about 2 minutes.

4. Transfer poached prawns to ice bath. Return leche de tigre base to blender, along with ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons of spot prawn stock. Pulse to combine. Taste and adjust for spice and seasoning if desired, then blend until smooth. Pour the mixture through a fine mesh sieve back into the small metal mixing bowl, then add remaining tablespoon of red onion to strained leche de tigre.

5. Place the small metal mixing bowl within an ice bath, then stir to quickly bring down the temperature of the leche de tigre.

6. Remove spot prawns from ice bath and chop into bite-sized pieces, then combine with chilled leche de tigre; add diced avocado pieces, as well. Allow to marinate for 5 minutes in the refrigerator, then top with fresh cilantro and corn nuts, if using. Serve immediately with tostones or crackers.

Consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish, or eggs may increase your risk of food-borne illness, especially if you have a certain medical condition. The FDA recommends an internal temperature of 145°F for cooked fish.