Between tour dates, the Margarillas spent the afternoon with Margaritaville concept chef and co-author of Margaritaville: The Cookbook, Carlo Sernaglia. Chef Carlo started off making the Shrimp Ceviche, but it took a Veracruz Cocktail turn. So while the  Belizean Shrimp Ceviche recipe is below, it’s best to grab a glass of rosé or a cold LandShark and follow along to get the recipe remix…

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Margaritaville: The Cookbook is available May 1st. Pre-order your copy and learn more at MargaritavilleCookbook.com.

Belizean Shrimp Ceviche

Serves 4

1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more as needed

1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed

1 lemon, halved

2 dried bay leaves

1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

½ cup Pico de Gallo (our recipe is in the book!)

1 tablespoon minced jalapeño

½ cup fresh lemon juice

¼ cup finely diced bell pepper (any color or a mix)

¼ cup finely diced red onion

Fill a large pot with water and add the salt, black pepper, lemon halves, and bay leaves and bring it to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and add the shrimp and cook, stirring, until they’re just opaque, about 2 minutes. Drain the shrimp and rinse them with cool running water (discard the lemon halves and bay leaves). Coarsely chop the shrimp and place them in a large bowl. Add the pico de gallo, jalapeño, lemon juice, bell pepper, and onion and mix well to combine. Season with salt and black pepper and then chill until super cold. This can sit in the fridge for up to 2 days and will just get more flavorful, almost like Southern pickled shrimp. Serve cold in glasses or bowls.

Note: To make a plantain nest for the ceviche, coarsely grate peeled green plantains and then dry the shreds on a kitchen towel and season well with salt. Place a handful of the shredded plantains in a small chinois (a conical strainer) and spread them so the shreds form an even layer up the sides of the strainer. Place another chinois on top so that the plantains are sandwiched between them and plunge the whole thing into a vat of oil. Cook until golden brown and crispy, about 5 minutes. Carefully remove the nest from the chinois and drain on a paper towel.