A personal favorite raw dish of mine is Ceviche. The tartness of the citrus combined with the softness of the fish… Yum!
A Ceviche is a traditional raw fish dish served frequently in the coastal areas of Central and South American countries. We have a delicious one in The Naked Foods Cookbook that we can take no credit for – it comes via a dear friend straight from a small fishing town on the coast of Venezuela.
This version isn’t quite as fancy, and makes do with a few basic ingredients I had in the house. It’s a quick and easy version that I whipped together in a rush. I was pleasantly surprised with how well it turned out, so I thought I’d share it.
Ingredients:
- 1 lb fresh fish, deboned and chopped (we used wild-caught tuna, but you can ask your fish monger what is fresh and best for this kind of dish. Mahi Mahi is a popular one, as are red snapper, sea bass, or young grouper)
- juice of 2 limes
- juice of 2 lemons
- 1 jalapeno pepper, thinly sliced and seeds discarded (or keep the seeds if you like it spicy)
- 1 avocado, diced
- 2 Tbsp chopped cilantro
- Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
In a mixing bowl, combine the chopped fish, lemon and lime juice, and sliced jalapeno pepper. Stir well, ensuring the lemon/lime juice covers the fish.
Cover the bowl and put in the refrigerator for 3-6 hours, giving it a good stir every so often. Basically you want to give it enough time for the citrus to “cook” the fish (it will change color and whiten a little, just like when it’s cooked with heat). You can even leave it in the fridge overnight where the flavors will meld even more.
Just before serving, stir in the avocado, cilantro, salt and pepper. Serve chilled and enjoy!
