Recipe Box

Ceviche
garnish of english cucumber and citrus supremes

With the snowy season slowly coming to an end, there is nothing better to get us in a tropical mood then a refreshing plate of spicy citrus ceviche. This dish was made for my Cuisines of Americas class. It is supposed to be a Peruvian ceviche, but lets be honest there was no recipe followed and it quickly became a mix of Peru, Mexico, and Florida. A Peruvian ceviche uses blanched fish and is tossed in acid at the last moment. It is the technique, fish, and supplemental  ingredients that determines the type of ceviche.

CEVICHE

2 oranges juiced (seeds and pulp removed)

5 lemons juiced (seeds and pulp removed)

5 limes juiced (seeds and pulp removed)

3 habanero peppers minced (seeds and membrane removed)

1/2 red pepper diced

1/2 bunch cilantro rough chopped

1 red onion diced

1 cup shrimp peeled, deveined, and chopped

1 cup scallops chopped (muscle removed)

1 sea bass fillet chopped

1 mahi mahi fillet chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Note: Any mixture of seafood may be used. Best to use what is freshest for the season and the area you are living in.

Prepare all ingredients by having all cleaned, chopped, and ready for use. 

Blanch whole peeled shrimp in boiling water then shock in ice water to stop cooking process. 

Combine all citrus juices with vegetables and chillies. Toss all seafood in mixture and season to taste with salt and pepper. Let sit covered in a refrigerator for 3 hrs to overnight. Ready when majority of fish has turned opaque from acid. 

*It is important to remember that you are dealing with a raw product and proper sanitation must be carried out. The acid from the citrus fruits will denature proteins and kill most bacteria, but there is still no heat being applied to most of the ingredients.