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Old-fashioned Calabash
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‘cooked.’ Boca Bay chef Shawn Repasy
says that the acids in the citrus juices
are what break down and cook the fish.
Repasy uses pineapple, lemon and lime
juices when he creates ceviche. The acids
found in these juices alter the structure
of proteins in fish making the flesh
opaque, firm and safe to eat. Once the
meat loses transparency, it is ready to be
served. If the seafood still appears raw
inside, more marinating is required while
chilling.
Like the variations of seasoning found
in Low Country boils, ceviche flavors
are vast. In Josefina Howard’s collection
of recipes, “Rosa Mexicano,” the
various flavors of ceviche de pescado, or
fish ceviche, are attributed to numerous
countries along the Latin American
coast. With origins in Latin America
and the Caribbean, flavors and marinating
mixtures are unique to each culture
and region. Hot peppers, cilantro and
lemon are popular seasonings as well as
chili paste and lime. Orange and coconut
juices are sometimes combined for
a softer flavor. In the Bahamas, onions,
tomatoes, green peppers, sour oranges
(or Key limes) and habanera peppers are
used with fish and conch.
Locally, Boca Bay on Eastwood Road
in the Wrightsville Sound area serves
up shrimp and scallop ceviche as an
appetizer.
“Ceviche is pretty popular amongst
our customers; we serve it year round,”
Repasy says. “Our specific recipe
includes shrimp and scallops, but I know
plenty of people that use grouper and
lobster for their dishes too.”
It doesn’t get any more Southern than this...
As pure as the marinated ceviche process may be, seafood really can’t
get much more Carolina than good old Calabash. For Sean Franklin,
it only takes 350 degrees of clean vegetable oil and locally harvested
seafood to start a fantastically fried meal.
“The quality of the seafood is most important in any case, especially in fried
food,” says Franklin, who has 25 years of cooking experience in self-described “mom
and pop” restaurants. “We use a lot of local product at The Sawmill and often buy
from fishermen near Hampstead.”
At The Sawmill, Franklin washes everything from shrimp and grouper to flounder
and catfish with egg, milk and a decent amount of salt to keep a good flavor on the
meat, artfully frying up anything his customers order.
“I usually put a little Texas Pete and Worcestershire into my wash,” Franklin
admits. “Then I just soak up the seafood in the sauce, drain it and put it in cracker
meal. I shake off the excess and drop the pieces into hot oil to fry it up real nice.”
Low Country boils, ceviche and Calabash seafood are all simple enough to recreate
at home, but there is one thing to consider: timing.
“People get nervous cooking seafood because of the issue with timing,” says James
Bain. “Calabash can easily be burned, ceviche over-marinated and shrimp over-boiled
or worse, soggy. All three of these dishes really come down to the last minute,” Bain
says. “That’s a good thing since you don’t have to worry about cooking them all day.
If you make it simple on yourself it’s going to be easy.” - SL