Ceviche - Does anyone want to share a favourite recipe?

[taxlady]

I came across a recipe for ceviche. But, it's not from what I consider to be a reliable recipe source.

Ceviche does seem appropriate to the hot weather. Does anyone here have a favourite ceviche recipe that they would be willing to share? If you have saved a recipe that you haven't tried yet, please mention that if you decide to share it here. Thanks in advance.

 

[pepperhead212]

As much as I would like to eat things like that, I have always had sort of a fear of eating raw fish and seafood. This probably has something to do with my college days, and all the parasites and things like that we studied in marine biology. This is why I'm not a sushi person. They can kill just about everything in them by freezing at -40° for a certain amount of time, but this is probably only done at expensive restaurants.

 

[taxlady]

As much as I would like to eat things like that, I have always had sort of a fear of eating raw fish and seafood. This probably has something to do with my college days, and all the parasites and things like that we studied in marine biology. This is why I'm not a sushi person. They can kill just about everything in them by freezing at -40° for a certain amount of time, but this is probably only done at expensive restaurants.

I have looked up the info on this. -40° will kill all the parasites in a few hours, less than a day. At regular domestic freezer temps of -18°C / 0°F, it takes a bit longer. I only do this with fish that has been in my freezer for at least a week.

Edited to add: This is for salt water fish. I don't know what the safety rules would be for fresh water fish. I have read that the parasite problem is worse with fresh water fish. I haven't looked into that more, since I don't like fresh water fish.

 

[caseydog]

Almost all fish you buy away from the coast is frozen at some point. Especially in a supermarket. You can't even get fresh Gulf shrimp at a supermarket in Houston. A lot of seafood is frozen right on the boat. That seafood in the "fresh" seafood cabinet almost certainly got to the store frozen, and was thawed.

As for ceviche, I've only had it a couple of times. I've never made it. But, if I were to make it, I'd check out Rick Bayless' recipe. His Mexican recipes are generally well researched and quite good.

Classic Ceviche - Rick Bayless

www.rickbayless.com

Down here, the fish is often Red Snapper, but I would use whatever fish travels the shortest distance to where you are.

CD

 

[pictonguy]

I've probably made ceviche over a 1000 times in a restaurant setting and it always sells out and I only ever have ceviche as a special, in other words when I can get the right fish that needs to be fresh, never frozen and runs until my supply runs out.

Recipes are pretty basic and generally are of Latin American origin and Peru is pretty well regarded as ground zero of this dish. Here's one of my basic go to dishes and a good one for beginners.

Ingredients
1 lb of fresh red snapper or sea bass cut into 1/2" dice
1 lb of lemon or lime, squeezed, your choice or a combination
1 small red onion, sliced
2 habanero or ají limo peppers, thinly sliced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tsp of fresh ginger, grated
sea salt to taste.

Method
Wash and dry the fish, then cut into 1/2 cubes. Squeeze the citrus and remove the seeds. Add the fish into the citrus marinade and add the grated ginger and salt and mix gently, very gently only once or twice then add the onion and cilantro.

I normally make tostado's but you can use whatever you want to serve them with or they can be consumed as is with a fork or spoon from a serving dish.

I normally add avocado, it's creamy and adds volume and flavor but this is your basic Peruvian ceviche.

 

[Aunt Bea]

 

[taxlady]

I noticed with other recipes that the marinating time is anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes, usually. I was surprised by that. I'm used to making gravad laks, which I usually marinate as a whole piece of salmon and for 2-3 days. Is that short marinating time really enough to properly flavour the fish? And I don't care how traditional cilantro is in ceviche, I'm not putting any. I hate the flavour of raw cilantro.

 

[Andy M.]

Interesting video. Thanks, Aunt Bea.

The majority of ceviche recipes do not include oil or mayonnaise. However, I think either would temper the high acidity of the citrus juices.
I make a shrimp ceviche that includes some olive oil.

 

[taxlady]

I've probably made ceviche over a 1000 times in a restaurant setting and it always sells out and I only ever have ceviche as a special, in other words when I can get the right fish that needs to be fresh, never frozen and runs until my supply runs out.

Recipes are pretty basic and generally are of Latin American origin and Peru is pretty well regarded as ground zero of this dish. Here's one of my basic go to dishes and a good one for beginners.

Ingredients
1 lb of fresh red snapper or sea bass cut into 1/2" dice
1 lb of lemon or lime, squeezed, your choice or a combination
1 small red onion, sliced
2 habanero or ají limo peppers, thinly sliced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tsp of fresh ginger, grated
sea salt to taste.

Method
Wash and dry the fish, then cut into 1/2 cubes. Squeeze the citrus and remove the seeds. Add the fish into the citrus marinade and add the grated ginger and salt and mix gently, very gently only once or twice then add the onion and cilantro.

I normally make tostado's but you can use whatever you want to serve them with or they can be consumed as is with a fork or spoon from a serving dish.

I normally add avocado, it's creamy and adds volume and flavor but this is your basic Peruvian ceviche.

It sounds great. Is there a reason that you want fish that has never been frozen? I don't live close enough to the ocean to trust the freshness of "fresh fish". I only buy fish that is still frozen. I certainly don't want "previously frozen fish".

 

[Andy M.]

I noticed with other recipes that the marinating time is anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes, usually. I was surprised by that. I'm used to making gravad laks, which I usually marinate as a whole piece of salmon and for 2-3 days. Is that short marinating time really enough to properly flavour the fish? And I don't care how traditional cilantro is in ceviche, I'm not putting any. I hate the flavour of raw cilantro.

With ceviche the fish is in a strong acidic liquid. This is different from a dry rub cure of sugar and salt. With dry curing, the salt draws moisture out of the fish and some of the seasoning dissolves and is drawn back into the fish. A slower process.

 

[Andy M.]

It sounds great. Is there a reason that you want fish that has never been frozen? I don't live close enough to the ocean to trust the freshness of "fresh fish". I only buy fish that is still frozen. I certainly don't want "previously frozen fish".

Good question. Sushi fish is usually frozen for 72 hours before service to ensure it's parasite free.

 

[caseydog]

I noticed with other recipes that the marinating time is anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes, usually. I was surprised by that. I'm used to making gravad laks, which I usually marinate as a whole piece of salmon and for 2-3 days. Is that short marinating time really enough to properly flavour the fish? And I don't care how traditional cilantro is in ceviche, I'm not putting any. I hate the flavour of raw cilantro.

I also have the "soap" gene for cilantro. I don't think it would be any problem leaving it out.

With ceviche, the lime juice "cooks" the fish, and if you marinate it too long, it does the same thing as overcooking fish. It will go mushy on you.

CD

 

[pictonguy]

It sounds great. Is there a reason that you want fish that has never been frozen? I don't live close enough to the ocean to trust the freshness of "fresh fish". I only buy fish that is still frozen. I certainly don't want "previously frozen fish".

Are you close to Montreal? Have you never been to a fishmonger. Anyway there's plenty of fresh fish (never frozen) to be had, it's more expensive. In a restaurant setting where a reputation for freshness and made from scratch the last thing you need is to have your brain fall out of your head and serve previously frozen ceviche.

Personally I wouldn't bother making ceviche if the fish had been frozen for a few reasons. First, the texture is not the same and after adding an acid like lime it's really noticeable as the fish gets tougher. Frozen fish, even flash frozen the ice crystals that form within their cell structures loose this water making the fish dryer, tougher and less malleable. Also visually, fresh fish is bright and translucent looking compared to previously frozen and a side by side comparison it's pretty obvious. Although I'm always surprised how many "fine dining" places are using frozen. I always ask the waiter if the ceviche is from fresh fish and if they weren't sure, to then go ask. This of course is just my opinion.

 

[pictonguy]

Good question. Sushi fish is usually frozen for 72 hours before service to ensure it's parasite free.

Not always. Vancouver, yes it's a provincial law. Ontario, nope we can serve fresh never frozen. Not sure what the rules are anywhere else though.

 

[caseydog]

It sounds great. Is there a reason that you want fish that has never been frozen? I don't live close enough to the ocean to trust the freshness of "fresh fish". I only buy fish that is still frozen. I certainly don't want "previously frozen fish".

Some restaurants can have seafood flown in, since they are going to charge big money for their dishes. If you want to make a little something at home, that option is not as much available.

The only times I have bought real fresh fish was when it was whole (well, minus the guts). That was expensive, and only for special dinners. I also buy my fish still frozen, instead of frozen, thawed, and displayed on some crushed ice in a glass cabinet.

Of course, fresh, never frozen is nice, but I have no issues with fish that was frozen shortly after the catch, which means wild caught, USA where I live. I wish I had the kind of money to buy fish caught this morning for dinner tonight. I do have a good fishmonger not far from me, but if I want good, fresh, never frozen fish, I have to order in advance, and pay a lot of money for it. Dallas is not a seaport.

I just buy the best seafood I can get. On the plus side, there are Black Angus cattle grazing a few blocks from my house. Of course, beef is better when aged.

CD

 

[medtran49]

Is that short marinating time really enough to properly flavour the fish?

The acid cooks the fish, as in changing the texture and generally the color slightly. If you let the fish sit in the acid too long, it gets mushy since the citric acid breaks down the cell structure.

We have a conch ceviche recipe that marinates for a couple of hours, BUT conch is dense and quite tough so needs the longer time. Any conch you get is going to be frozen/thawed unless you live in certain places in the Caribbean. If you are interested, I'll post the recipe.

 

[taxlady]

The acid cooks the fish, as in changing the texture and generally the color slightly. If you let the fish sit in the acid too long, it gets mushy since the citric acid breaks down the cell structure.

We have a conch ceviche recipe that marinates for a couple of hours, BUT conch is dense and quite tough so needs the longer time. Any conch you get is going to be frozen/thawed unless you live in certain places in the Caribbean. If you are interested, I'll post the recipe.ac

Ah, now the penny drops. Of course I have read about the acid cooking the fish, but I have no experience with ceviche. I don't think I have ever even tasted ceviche. I am familiar with other ways of serving fish that haven't been cooked by heat. Thanks for the explanation.

If you were to post that conch ceviche recipe, I would gladly read it. But, the chance that I would ever be making that is pretty low.

 

[dragnlaw]

taxy, there are fresh fish mongers in Mtl. but you have to go there yourself. My BIL, who has fish for breakfast, lunch, and dinner haunts them to get the freshest and things not going to high end restaurants.

 

[dragnlaw]

I am familiar with other ways of serving fish that haven't been cooked by heat.

what other ways is that? are you talking about smoking/drying?

 

[caseydog]

Ah, now the penny drops. Of course I have read about the acid cooking the fish, but I have no experience with ceviche. I don't think I have ever even tasted ceviche. I am familiar with other ways of serving fish that haven't been cooked by heat. Thanks for the explanation.

If you were to post that conch ceviche recipe, I would gladly read it. But, the chance that I would ever be making that is pretty low.

Ceviche is good. It is a summer dish, for sure. Very refreshing. Best served with some good tequila.

Conch is hard to get outside of Florida, and like octopus, hard to cook. It can be tender, or like chewing rubber bands.

Like I posted before, make ceviche with the best fish you can get where you live. If that fish is frozen, don't let that stop you. We can't all have fish flown in from 1,000 miles away.

CD