When posed with the question of the most romantic place on earth, most people will respond with France or, more specifically, Paris.  I visited France when I was 16 years old and quite frankly, I was just not impressed.  While the architecture was breathtaking, for me, Paris lacks passion.  Passion is the driving force behind romance.

The Theme

 When planning a bridal shower, why not think a little different when it comes to the theme?  As opposed to the usual romantic themes like “Night in Paris” or “Pretty in Pink,” why not think passion?  If you have ever explored Latin America, you know that passion is behind everything that they do.  They are passionate from way they love to the way they dance and my personal favorite: the way they cook.

Fresh Is Best

The one thing everyone will always remember about a party is the food; so it’s important to make sure you nail this.  One of my favorite Latin dishes is ceviche.  There are unlimited possibilities in terms of variations of ceviche, all of which leverage bold and flavorful ingredients no matter what time of year.  Unlike other raw food dishes, ceviche is actually “cooked” by simply marinating in citric acid which breaks down the fish much like the process of cooking does.  The true beauty lies within the simplicity of ceviche and the ability to make it in larger portions to serve a group of people.

The most important ingredient that will set the tone for ceviche is obviously the seafood.  Once you have had fresh seafood, you will never go back to your local supermarket to satisfy your seafood craving.  It is also important to remember that ceviche is not cooked in a typical fashion so fresh is important to ensure there isn’t any bacteria in the fish.  Keeping that in mind, I would suggest cutting out the middleman to procure a fresh catch from right off of the docks.  Not only can it be more cost effective (especially since you will be buying it in bulk), but I assure you there is no contest in flavor.

The Menu

I have hosted many a dinner party from 5 to 50 people and I would say the hardest part is to balance your time.  If all of the excitement happens in the beginning, guests will start to make an exit earlier than expected.  I find the best way to organize the party is to spread the timing of your dishes throughout.  It’s especially important with a menu consisting of different varieties of one type of dish.  You don’t want your guests to get ceviche overload; though personally, I’m not sure that is even possible!

What is your (or the bride to be’s) favorite seafood?  The beauty of ceviche is that you can make it with almost any kind of fish or shellfish.  My personal favorite is scallops, but I like to think bigger than just a simple scallop ceviche for such an occasion.  As we know, no two ceviche are the same.  Everyone has their own twist on this popular Latin dish; right down to the way it’s served.  Since this is a party after all, we might as well have some fun with it.

Shrimp Cocktail Ceviche

Let’s start with a twist on cocktail hour.  The first seafood that comes to mind when I think of cocktail hour is shrimp.  My first ever experience with ceviche was when I was on a trip to San Diego and met a few friends at a Mexican restaurant in Ocean Beach.  I ordered a shrimp based ceviche for an appetizer that was so delicious that I had to order a second to go.  Being from the east coast, I wasn’t exposed to much Latin food growing up so I spent a good amount of time trying to recreate that dish to share with everyone.  I couldn’t think of a better way to wow your guests than with this recipe.  With ceviche, we let the citrus juices do the cooking so a nice white shrimp is perfect for this dish.  The recipe is simple.  Blanch the shrimp then add them to fresh lime juice for about one hour.  Dice the shrimp and mix in with diced plum tomatoes, shallots, jalapeno, celery, salt and pepper.  Since it’s cocktail hour, it would be fun to serve it in a martini glass garnished with fresh chopped cilantro and Jalapeno.

Grilled Scallop Ceviche Salad

In addition to the timing of your dishes, it’s also important to cleanse the pallet to get the full enjoyment.  Today you can see pallet cleansers actually being built into the dish.  This grilled scallop ceviche is the perfect recipe to not only cleanse the pallet but also works perfectly into the salad portion of your menu.  I prefer a nice jumbo scallop since they grill nicely and are delicious.  Toss your scallops in olive oil, salt & pepper; then put 3-4 on a skewer before searing each side on the grill.  Now you will want to marinate your skewers for a few hours in lime juice, diced mango (mango cleanses the pallet and mellows out the spiciness of the dish) and chopped oranges (peeled & removed from the skin).  Once you remove the skewers from the marinade, mix in seedless cucumber (cored, and halved), cilantro and jalapeno to taste.  Serve on a salad plate with skewers laying over top.

Classic Halibut Ceviche

I love to look at the main course really as the grand finale of your dinner.  What better way to make a statement than with a Fresh Wild Alaskan Halibut?  Why do I choose halibut? Aside from the many health benefits, halibut has a mild flavor; great for complimenting with the delicate flavors of ceviche. I like to prepare this dish slightly different from the others.  Remember, we are trying to give this a “main course” element.  I start by slicing the halibut into even strips (approximately 1½ inches wide) and then marinate in lime juice and diced onion for about 4 hours.  The flaky texture of halibut is great for use in marinated fish recipes.  Once your fish is white all the way through, separate it from the lime juice mixture and plate about 4 or 5 pieces per dish.  Next, combine diced tomato, cilantro, green chiles and olives to to spread overtop of the fish.  Garnish with avocado and a sprig of cilantro.  It’s a different spin on serving a classic ceviche, but when a classic is done well, it will always be amazing!

I’ve catered many bridal showers and weddings over the years and I love using this idea for those parties.  Not only is it unique, but the budget friendly and simple to do on your own menu will impress your guests.  By ordering a large quantity of fresh quality seafood online direct from the source you will save time and money from going to the store as well as guarantee the freshest catch possible.  Now that your fresh seafood has arrived at your door, the possibilities are endless.  There are so many variations of the dish that you can really find a few options that work best for you.