Pati Jinich’s Vuelve a la Vida

Adapted from a recipe in Treasures of the Mexican Table, by Pati Jinich. Vuelve a la Vida, which means “Come Back to Life,” is so named because it’s a pick-me-up after a long night out, as Jinich explains in her headnote. Popular along Mexico’s Pacific and Gulf coasts, it’s like a cross between ceviche and a seafood cocktail. It might read as though the dish will be overly ketchupy, but we found it to be perfectly balanced.

READ: “Cookbooks We Love: In ‘Treasures of the Mexican Table,’ Pati Jinich shares recipes soaked in local character”

The recipe calls for any firm, mild white fish fillets; we tested it using red snapper. Because it was winter, we used a Roma tomato; in summer we’d use a more flavorful ripe tomato, such as an heirloom. In Mexico, we’ve seen Vuelva a la Vida served most often with saltines; Jinich suggests saltines, tortilla chips or corn tostadas.

Serves 6 to 8 as an appetizer, or 4 to 5 as a light main course.

Ingredients

1/2 pound firm, mild white fish fillets, such as snapper, flounder or sea bass, cut Into 1/2-inch dice

3/4 cup freshly squeezed limed juice (from about 6 to 8 fairly juicy limes)

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 garlic clove, peeled

1 dried chile de árbol

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 medium ripe tomato or large Roma tomato, chopped somewhere between finely and roughly

1 fresh jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped

1 pickled jalapeño, finely chopped

1/3 cup finely chopped white onion

1/4 cup chopped cilantro, including some of the tender stems

3 or 4 tablespoons sliced pimento-stuffed green olives

2 tablespoons drained capers, chopped

3/4 cup ketchup

3/4 teaspoon oregano (preferably Mexican)

8 ounces jumbo lump crabmeat, picked over for shells and cartilage

8 or so grinds of black pepper

1 ripe avocado, diced

Saltine crackers, tortilla chips or tostadas for serving

Instructions

1. Place the diced fish in a small, non-reactive bowl, cover with the lime juice and gently mix. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate for at least an hour, or up to several hours, in the refrigerator.

2. Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic clove and chile de árbol and cook until the garlic is golden, 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally; take care not to burn the garlic and chiles. Remove from the heat and let the oil cool, then remove and discard the garlic and chile. Set the oil aside.

3. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil, add enough salt so it tastes like the sea, and add the shrimp. Cook for about 1 minute, until the shrimps turn pink. Drain and let cool.

4. Put the chopped tomato in a large bowl with the fresh and pickled jalapeños, onion, cilantro, olives, capers, ketchup, oregano and seasoned olive oil and mix well. Add the fish and its lime-juice marinade, along with the shrimp and crabmeat, salt and black pepper. Gently but thoroughly mix together. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Divide onto small plates or into small bowls or stemmed glasses, top each with some of the avocado, and serve with the saltines, tortilla chips or tostadas.