The word "ceviche" is a lot like the word "taco"... there's a million ways to make it. At its most basic, it is a raw fish that's marinated in citrus juice until it's "cooked". A more scientific way to talk about it would be to say that the citrus juice denatures the protein in the fish very similarly to the way heat would when it's truly cooked - and the fish takes on the familiar firm texture and opaqueness.
Time is another variable, and is mostly a matter of personal preference. I like my ceviche almost entirely 'cooked' so I cut my fish into very small chunks and let it marinate at least an hour before consuming. If you're more into sushi-style ceviche you can use larger pieces of fish and reduce your marinating time so that the center of your cubed fish is still translucent. And if you're wanting to try ceviche but can't stomach the idea fish that hasn't been cooked with heat, feel free to skip the raw and go straight to an ingredient like the ready-to-eat salad shrimp or crab meat - I won't razz you too much. ;)
Ceviche
serves 4-6 for appetizer or side dish
- 2/3 pound rockfish
- the juice of 2 lemons
- the juice of 2 limes
- 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
- 1/2 small onion, minced
- 1 cup chopped tomato
- 1 small diced jalapeno
- Salt to taste
Cut your fish into small cubes and place in a bowl. Add the lime and lemon juice, stir to combine, and place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes... and up to 4 hours. Add the cilantro, onion, tomato, and jalapeño. Serve with tortilla chips for scooping and a cold cerveza with lime!
Delicious!
Cut recipe in half for first trial and should have done the full amount! Tried it after 2 hours and was great but left overnight in fridge and was even better!
Maybe the wrong thing to do but didn’t get sick.
Also found a little bit of salt and fresh ground pepper took it up a notch!
Really enjoyed!
Thank you!