Oh la la, fresh and glorious ceviche! I don’t think anyone needs an excuse to eat this delicious dish. Seafood could not be fresher and a little dose of spicy is good for you.
Ceviche? Not sure what it is? Well, lets chat about this local dish. Ceviche is thought to have originated in Peru, and made its way to other countries through the Spanish conquerors. Fisherman would take freshly caught fish, shrimp, octopus, and conch and marinate these proteins with an acidic fruit. It is this marinating process that defines ceviche, where the acid actually cooks the fish and seafood.
But this is where the history gets interesting. The Spanish brought over citrus fruits, specifically lime which is THE most commonly used acid for ceviche today. But if you dig into the history of ceviche, other local fruits were used to create the same ‘acid’ cooking method that defines this local dish.
With a highly disputed past, which I find fascinating, our celebrations today are focused on Mexican Ceviche. There are variations, Rene Redzepi proved that at his Tulum pop up restaurant this past April and May. His take on Mexican ceviche focused on clams from the west coast. He used lime for his acid and added beach herbs and a touch of mandarin, creating his own take on ceviche.
But the basic local recipe is still a tried and true way to deliver this dish. Ready to see what it takes to make your own ceviche?
Local Mexican Ceviche Recipe – Easy Peasy
What You Need:
- 1/2 pound fresh and skinless ocean fish diced into 1/2 inch pieces (not fresh water fish) like snapper or grouper. If grouper is unavailable halibut or chilean sea bass is perfect.
- 1/2 pound mixed seafood – shrimp, conch, octopus, whatever you have available.
- 1 1/2 cups fresh lime juice
- 1 medium white onion diced
- 2 medium-large tomatoes, diced
- Fresh hot green chiles (2 to 3 serranos or 1 to 2 jalapeños), stemmed, seeded and finely diced
- 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
How You Make It
Use a stainless steel or glass bowl to mix and marinate your ceviche. This is important so you do not get a reaction between your acid and bowl. With all ingredients diced and prepared, add the fresh fish and seafood with the lime juice and onion. Let these ingredients marinate in the fridge for no less than 4 hours. As the fish is marinating, mix the tomatoes, chiles, and 1/2 of the cilantro in a bowl with a pinch of salt.
Drain the fish of all lime juice and toss into the bowl of tomatoes, chiles and cilantro. Add the rest of the cilantro and serve. That’s it. This easy dish is delicious, fresh and wonderful. It just might bring you back to the shores of Mexico as you savor the flavor.