CEVICHE: A LOVE STORY

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CEVICHE: A LOVE STORY

This Mexican-style ceviche combines lime juice and orange juice with a little heat and tanginess from a pickled jalapeno.

Ingredients

• 1 cup white fish, cut into small pieces
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 1 tablespoon pickled jalapeno, chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 tablespoon red onions, minced
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Mix the fish, lime juice, orange juice, and jalapenos and let marinate for 10 to 20 minutes, or until the fish turns from translucent to opaque. Stir in the pickled jalapeno and red onion, season with salt and pepper, and serve.
2. It’s like a kiss from the sea. The pearly sweetness of “cooked” fish, fresh and bright with acid and aromatics, contrasting with the crunch of a tortilla chip or a crisp cracker or crostini.
3. It’s an obsession in Peru, a standard starter in Ecuador and a culinary tradition all across South America. Dating back to the earliest inhabitants, the Incas preserved their fish with fruit juice, salt and chile peppers, and later the Spanish conquerors introduced the now essential limes.
4. According to gastronomic wisdom, the acid from citrus juice actually “cooks” the fish but it’s really the citric acid that alters the structure of the proteins in the fish, making the fish more opaque and firm, just as if it had been cooked with heat. The acid does not work the same as the heat would though, as well as heat does, so it’s always important to start with the freshest, cleanest fish possible.
5. Ceviche is often made with sea bass or flounder, but just about any fish or shellfish will work; I love shrimp and scallops mixed or even salmon and scallop, for textural complexity. The other ingredients you add are dependent upon your palate and can vary widely. Ecuadorian ceviche is often made with shrimp and ketchup in addition to lime juice and tossed with corn nuts for texture. In Chile, ceviche is made with Chilean sea bass, grapefruit juice, and cilantro, and in Peru, ceviche is garnished with thinly sliced onions and thinly sliced red chile peppers.
6. Recently, on my Honeymoon in Maui, we delighted in Chef Alan Wong’s signature Ceviche, marinated in passion fruit juice; it was outrageously delicious with subtle sweet notes and the perfect bite from chiles. You might find ceviche recipes using coconut milk, avocado, mango, and more but I say, let your palate dictate the ingredients.
7. The next time you see some fresh-looking fish at the store, why not bring some home and invent your own “Ceviche de Casa”? Here are my best tips (and two scrumptious recipes) for perfecting your soon-to-be-famous ceviche all summer long!
8. Most fish works for ceviche, But the best kinds are semi-firm white-fleshed ocean fish like sea bass, striped bass, grouper, sole or flounder. Stay away from oily fish like mackerel, sardines, tuna, bluefish or jack. Freshwater fish like trout or catfish don't really work either.
9. When making ceviche, it's important that the different components are evenly sized, so that they marinate evenly.
10. Your fish (and your vegetables) should be evenly diced or sliced into thin pieces. The vegetables, such as peppers or onions, are best diced.
11. I recommend marinating fish for ceviche for at least 10 to 20 minutes. (Anything under that amount of time and the fish will still appear raw and won't be tender enough or flavorful enough to eat.) It ensures the lime juice has been absorbed by the fish, turning it an opaque color. Anything over an hour and you run the risk of the fish falling apart. It's really best to make your ceviche fresh and serve it soon.
12. You definitely need enough acid (lemon or lime juice) to properly make ceviche. Michael Ruhlman recommends a 1/2 cup of lime juice to 1 pound of fish. This ratio will ensure the fish is properly cured and tender to eat.
13. It's best to keep the fish separate from the vegetables until you're ready to serve. This prevents the vegetables or the fish from going mushy and from the different colors (especially if you're using red onions) to bleed together.

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