I need help from you native northeners...

[Lugaru]

I've been wanting to make fish ceviche (raw fish cured in lime juice) but Im not acustomed to the northern seafood and when I go to markets everything looks alien to me. Can you guy's recomend a fish that tastes clean, not very fatty and has pale flesh?

Either way Im going to do some shrimp ceviche soon but I really want to try fish ceviche too.

 

[marmalady]

Guess it would depend on where in the 'north' you live, lugaru! Eastern North Coast versus Central versus Western all have different local fishies. Your best bet would be to get to know some of the fishmongers in your area, or supermarkets who have really fresh fish. If you tell them what you're doing, they're usually pretty honest about what's fresh and what's been sitting threre for a day or two.

 

[Lugaru]

Hmmm... Im thinking of hitting haymarket early morning and harrassing the fish vendors with just that question. Btw Im in Boston, Ma.

 

[marmalady]

OMH - Why didn't you say so! You should be able to get some great fresh fish at Haymarket! I don't know whether Fanueil Hall still has the old markets in it - that's where we used to go for all our fresh fish and meat.

Well, types - now that I know where you are! Scrod, definitely - it's a baby cod, and is wonderfully mild and tender. Halibut, haddock, flounder, all would make great ceviche! You also might want to wanter over to the North End, and maybe you could get some baby octopus which would also be great ceviche'd!

Darn, I miss Boston!

 

[Lugaru]

Wow... that was unexpectedly helpful, I didint know you had spent time in boston! Yeah, I have no buisness being up here but I just havent wanted to leave because it's such a nice city, although expensive.

Hmm... baby octopus... I might make a campechana (ceviche with 5 sea creatures or more) and scare my roomies to death. My mother (who was born in the us) always said campechanas look like something they would be eating in the star wars cantena.

 

[Andy M.]

Lugaru:

Consider using sea scallops for your ceviche.

Try to get those that are labeled as dry. Some scallops have water added and others do not - those are labeled as dry.

 

[buckytom]

lugaru, i could go for a good ceviche and a cold dos equis right now.
what kind of fish did you used to use in your ceviche?

 

[Lugaru]

Mmm... Dos Equis... man you have the right idea right there. I know ceviche as the ultimate bachelors food... wake up on sunday around 11, put on a soccer game, chop up some fish and ingredients for ceviche and crack open a ballena (basically a 40 of beer).

Well I mostly used botete wich is a short and thick fish with a really tough skin. A lot of that pacific gulf fish is really tough.

I also love using scallops as andy suggests (cayo de hacha) which being as good as they are people usually just serve them on a plate drenched in lime with sliced raw onion and serano peppers. They will sometimes do the same with raw shrimp (camaron ahogado) although most people cook shrimp if it's going into ceviche. An interesting thing is that vendors often sold bags of water from boiling shrimp for people making ceviche to use instead of water. People in my home state love that "taste of the ocean" style thing.

For a good campechana you will find scallops, oysters, shrimp, octopus, fish, shrimp and some other stuff... it's a really overwhealming experience but man does that stuff invigorate you. This is served in a HUGE coctail glass with a pile of tostadas, saltines, a few sliced limes, a bowl of sea salt and a few bottles of hot sauce.

As for the ceviche itself Im a bit of a purist, Im fine with a little water, sea salt, lime, huichol hot sauce, diced tomato and diced onion. Other people will also use clamato, shirmp broth, diced cucumber and in the south of mexico lot's of people put ketchup in their ceviche... some northern stands have bottles available if wanted by the customer.

 

[GB]

I have nothing additional to add except to say that all the fishes already suggested would be wonderful.

I did not know you are in Boston. I am about an hour west of the city (outside of Worcester). You have such a large number of places to find good fish right where you are. Unfortunately I do not remember any specific places, but Haymarket would be great. I am sure if Jennyema is reading this she will have some great suggestions too

 

[amber]

I am in Maine, so the fish we have here is similar to that which you would find in Mass. I've never tried ceviche, but my favorite fish choices would be haddock, cod, sole, flounder. Does the lime juice cook the fish, seeing as it is acidic?

 

[buckytom]

yep, that's exactly it amber. it is acid cooked fish. many people are squeamish about eating fish "cooked" in lemon/lime acid, but if you use a good grade of very fresh fish, you will be fine. ceviche is delicious.

 

[jennyema]

Mmm... Dos Equis... man you have the right idea right there. I know ceviche as the ultimate bachelors food... wake up on sunday around 11, put on a soccer game, chop up some fish and ingredients for ceviche and crack open a ballena (basically a 40 of beer). .

In my neighborhood they wake up at 11, put on the Pats game, open up a bag of chips, order a pizza and crack open a Bud. Or Guiness.

Seriously, I don't much care for cod or haddock in ceviche. I would rather have snapper, mahi mahi or something like that.

Or, as Andy says, scallops. I have started eating them again after having some bad ones at Durgin Park in 1980 (really). Or shrimp.

Legal Seafood fish markets are a great place to get really fresh fish for ceviche or sushi.

 

[kitchenelf]

Scallop Ceviche on Black Pasta Cakes w/Cilantro Salsa

This is a wonderful recipe - I didn't have squid ink pasta so I just used regular pasta.

SCALLOP CEVICHE ON BLACK PASTA CAKES WITH CILANTRO SALSA


For ceviche
1/2 cup thinly sliced white onion
1 cup fresh orange juice
1 cup fresh lime juice
1 fresh jalapeño chile, sliced, including seeds
2 tablespoons kosher salt
24 medium sea scallops (1 1/4 lb), tough muscles removed from sides if necessary and scallops halved horizontally

For pasta cakes
6 oz black (squid ink) angel’s hair pasta
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
About 1 cup olive or vegetable oil For cilantro salsa
1/2 cup minced white onion
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh tomatillos
1/2 cup finely chopped tomato
1 tablespoon minced fresh jalapeño chile, including seeds
1 teaspoon kosher salt


Make ceviche: Combine onion, juices, jalapeño, and salt in a bowl.



Poach scallops in 4 quarts of simmering salted water, stirring occasionally, until just cooked through (scallops should be opaque with centers slightly pink), about 1 minute. Drain scallops and gently toss with marinade. Marinate scallops, covered and chilled, 3 hours.

Make pasta cakes: Boil pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until just cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain pasta in a colander. Rinse briefly under cold running water to stop cooking (don’t cool pasta completely) and drain well. Toss pasta with extra-virgin olive oil.

Heat 1/4 inch olive or vegetable oil in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over moderate heat until hot but not smoking. Form cakes by dropping a few strands of loosely squiggled pasta into a 1-tablespoon measure to fill it and inverting tablespoon into oil, flattening cake slightly if necessary. (If strands in bowl become too sticky to handle, stir in a little reserved pasta water, 1 teaspoon at a time. You need some starch from pasta to hold cake together, but you don’t want strands to become wet.) Cook cakes, 4 at a time, until crisp, 45 seconds to 1 minute per side, and drain on paper towels. Season cakes with salt.

Make salsa: Soak onion in cold water to cover 20 minutes, then drain and rinse well. Stir together onion, cilantro, tomatillos, tomato, jalapeño, and salt and chill, covered, until ready to use.

Assemble hors d’oeuvres: Lift scallops out of marinade and put 1 on top of each pasta cake. Top with salsa and serve immediately.

Cooks' notes:
• Pasta cakes may be made 1 day ahead and kept between sheets of wax paper in an airtight container at room temperature.

• Ceviche can be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.

• Salsa is best when made no more than 2 hours before serving.



Makes 48 hors d’oeuvres.
Gourmet

December 2000

 

[QSis]

I am surprised at all the recommendations to buy seafood at Haymarket. I never have, because the stench is pretty bad, even on a cold day! On warm days, flies land on the fish, and that just turns me off.

I get my fish at local supermarkets or small neighborhood markets.



Lee

 

[GB]

I have not been to Haymarket since I was much much younger, but as soon as you mentioned the stench it brought back a ton of memories. Yes it smelled pretty bad, but it was such a cool place.

Some of the best places to get fish in a lot of towns is right on the docks. The smell there is bound to be pretty bad too. Just make sure the fish looks and feels fresh and that the fish itself does not smell off and you should be OK.

 

[PolishedTopaz]

I agree with all the fish choices... any one of them would work well, shrimp is my favorite tho. I grew up just outside of Boston, in Brookline, my mom would take me to Haymarket Square just about every weekend. I loved it!!! It is nothing like that now, fancy shops and stuff, a victim of it's own success I think........great memories of childhood.

 

[Andy M.]

Haymarket is at its worst on Saturday night! Piles of garbage that haven't been cleaned up yet. What a mess.

If you intend to walk from the North End to the Quincy Market area, you can't miss it. Just take a left at the stench.:!:

 

[jennyema]

BUT... Haymarket is still a good place to buy produce. It's usually pretty cheap and good quality. Still a schlep though and that sorta outweighs the money you save.

 

[ironchef]

If you're on the East Coast, I would get Atlantic Black Sea Bass or Fluke. Both turn out very good ceviches.