Ceviche isn’t exclusively Mexican, many of the Latin countries have it, but it is a very common appetizer on the Pacific coast of any Latin country above or below the equator. Where you are partaking in the ceviche experience will dictate which seafood might be in it.
Ceviche
Usually, ceviche is a combination of fish and shellfish. In Mexico you will see it made with shrimp, snapper and maybe a variety of other fish. It will have some onions, maybe tomatoes sparsely mixed in with a little olive oil and spices. It is always doused in a good amount of lime juice, which gives it that perfect taste.
Lime juice is essential to making ceviche and it isn’t just for the taste. The lime juice is what cooks the seafood. You can soak a fish filet in lime juice for an hour and find out later that your fish is completely cooked, albeit cold. This is how ceviche is cooked. There are no pots and burners, just the sour juice of a lot of limes. So, while ceviche is never heated to cook, it isn’t exactly raw either.
Recipe
Every family has their own version, but here is a very basic recipe for this dish:
- 1 pound of local fresh fish, cleaned, descaled and chunked
- ¾ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 chopped onion
- 1 bunch of cilantro, chopped
- 2 tomatoes, chopped
- 1 small clove of garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Pour the lime juice over the fish chunks and let it marinate for one hour. Make sure it is all cooked by the juice then drain off the excess juice.
Mix in all the other ingredients, add a little of your favorite hot sauce and keep chilled until served.
Scoop into small bowls or cups to serve.
You’ll find that you will crave ceviche after not having it for a long time. It is a very healthy and appetite stimulating Mexican dish.