Ceviche

I chalk up my ceviche craving to too much Food Network viewing this month.  (Chopped?  The Great Food Truck Race?  The Next Food Network Star?  That could be ME!  Not.)

I'll be completely honest - I've never ordered ceviche before.  When I was younger, it used to scare me, and I guess it just hasn't come up on many menus recently.

Ceviche is a South/Central American raw fish preparation that is "cooked", or more accurately, denatured in acid such as lime or lemon juice.  It's great in the summertime because it's cold, light, and refreshing.  There are concerns about the safety of eating raw fish, but given the amount of sushi and sashimi I eat regularly anyway, I figured it wasn't too big of a deal.  Diphyllobothrium, please don't eat me!

I asked the fishmonger at the grocery store for his recommendations on which types of fish were the most appropriate for this style of cooking.  Online I had read that halibut, sea bass, red snapper, or other ocean fish were my best bet - but they were also the most expensive.  He told me that he couldn't recommend that I eat ANYTHING raw, but after I assured him that I was going to do it anyway, he suggested that I stick with frozen fish, which are presumably parasite-free from the freezing process.  I would have loved to get my hands on some halibut, but it was $15 a pound.  I went for a cheaper alternative, cod.

I trust Rick Bayless implicitly for all recipes Mexican, South and Central American.  Not only does he seem like a really cool dude, he's also a smart guy and spent a lot of his formative years studying anthropology and cooking in Mexico. 

If the idea of raw fish, or just fish in general grosses you out, this actually made a delicious salad.  Just cut the lime juice down to 1 lime and prepare everything the same but omit the fish.

Ceviche

adapted from Rick Bayliss

(serves 6-8 as an appetizer)

:: 1 pound fresh halibut, sea bass, red snapper, other ocean fish, cut into 1/2" dice

:: juice of 3 limes

:: 1 medium onion, cut into 1/2" dice

:: 2-3 tomatoes, cut into 1/2" dice

:: 1 jalapeno, minced

:: handful cilantro, chopped

:: 2-3 tablespoons orange juice

:: 1 tablespoon olive oil

:: s&p

:: 1 ripe avocado, cut into 1/2" dice

:: tortilla chips or toasted bread for serving

Marinate the fish with lime juice and onion for 2-3 hours in the refrigerator, or until fish becomes opaque all the way through. 

Mix together all other ingredients except for avocado and chips, combine with marinated ingredients.

Right before serving, stir in diced avocados.  Serve with chips!