Ceviche

Ah, spring.  It's getting to be that time of year when I get to spend more time outdoors enjoying life, and less time cooped up inside.  It's also a time when I am less interested in messing up the kitchen cooking something elaborate.  In the spring and summer I am all about things that are tasty, but require a minimum amount of time over a hot stove.  Nothing fits the bill better than ceviche. 


If you are not familiar with it, ceviche is a sort of Latin American fish salad made from raw fish, that is "cooked" in lime juice.  A long soak in citric acid turns the fish opaque and gives it a cooked texture.  It is pretty common here now, thanks largely to the sushi craze that got Americans over their queasiness about eating raw fish.  15 years ago, you had to be at a Mexican restaurant in the barrio to find it.  Today, they probably serve it at your friendly neighborhood TJ McFunsters.

Here is my ceviche recipe in 3 easy steps.


Step 1, catch a fish.


Now this is not absolutely necessary.  If you live in a major city and have a reliable fish merchant in your town, you can probably get sushi grade fish, which would be what you want for this.  However, nothing beats the fresh clean taste of ceviche made from a fish that was swimming in the sea less than 24 hours earlier.  I've made ceviche from dodgy fish before, and believe me, it's not worth the effort.  For 2 - 3 people, you'll need about a half pound of fish.  


I was on Tiki Island, just west of Galveston visiting my sister over the weekend and my brother-in-law put us on some fish right under the causeway.  Which made my first batch of ceviche for 2010 possible.  I caught the chunky sheepshead on the far left in the photo below.

Step 2, marinate.


Cut the fish into a small dice, about 1/2" max. You'll need a good sharp knife for that. Then put the fish in a glass or ceramic bowl, and add enough fresh lime juice to cover the fish. For that amount of fish, it will probably take at least 8 good sized limes, perhaps a few more. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or foil, and park it in the fridge for 4-6 hours or over night.

Step 3, dress it up.


Drain the lime juice from the fish. Add 1/4 cup of finely diced onion (or shallot, or scallion), a handful of sliced green olives, 1 minced clove of garlic, 1 finely diced serrano or jalapeno chile, and a handful of chopped cilantro. Pour in about 2 or 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Toss the ingredients and give it a taste. If it's a little flat add the juice of 1 lime and/or a bit more salt. 

I almost always serve my ceviche with chunky guacamole on the side, and corn chips or saltines.

In terms of the fish to use, I prefer a mild white fleshed fish. Grouper, trout, redfish, and flounder all work well. For this batch I used what the bay provided, a combination of sheepshead, speckled trout, and black drum.  Use whatever looks freshest. I've also used mahi mahi and amberjack, but those larger ocean fish give you a slightly different texture. It ends up more chunky, but still very good. I've never tried using salmon of fresh tuna, but wouldn't necessarily rule it out. Scallops and shrimp are also fair game, but those should probably be lightly poached first.

Some variations. If you don't have serrano or jalapeno, any chile will do even habaneros. It depends on your tolerance for heat. It's best to add a little to start then taste, and add more to get it to the heat level you want. To give it an asian spin, skip the olives and serrano and add some sirracha sauce and about a tablespoon of minced fresh ginger root. I'd probably also use a more neutral oil such as peanut or grape seed in place of the olive oil.   For more of a Polynesian flair skip the olives, and use pineapple and ginger.  Really, it's all about the technique.  Once you have the marinated fish, you can go any number of directions with it.  Enjoy.