Summer is the season for seviche, the national dish of Peru, which made its way here by way of Mexico to Florida and north.

What I particularly love about the dish — also known as ceviche and cebiche — is how easy it is to make.

Seviche is seafood, particularly shellfish, that is cooked in lime juice and served with a variety of garnishes.

The dish can be served family-style, meaning in a big glass bowl from which everybody dips, or make individual servings in martini glasses.

You can make seviche with lobster, shrimp, scallops and almost any fish that’s not overly oily. I like to use bay scallops (the little ones) because they’re inexpensive and they “cook” fast in the lime juice. If scallops are frozen, thaw them before making this dish.

Seviche

Directions
Lightly rinse scallops in cold water and place in a medium-sized glass bowl (avoid metal in this recipe). Pour the lime juice over the scallops, completely immersing them. Chill the scallops in juice all day or overnight until the scallops turn opaque, just as they do when you cook them over heat.

Drain half the juice from the bowl. Then add tomatoes, green onions, celery, green bell pepper, parsley, black pepper, olive oil and cilnatro to the scallops.
Stir gently.

Serve immediately with something salty-crunchy, like tortilla chips, and your favorite summer drinks.

Got a favorite summer treat? Share the recipe below or send it to us at foodforum@dailygazette.net.