Week 28:
RECIPE OF THE WEEK FROM OUR CULINARY INSTRUCTOR KAY BENAROCH
Traditional Peruvian style ceviche is made with tilapia but any mild white fish that is available is fine. This particular recipe is courtesy of author Analida Braeger. I’ve served this over the top of green salad accompanied by slices of avocado, chunks of fresh yellow tomatoes, and lightly pickled red onion. The recipe can be divided in half. Be sure to cover the fish with lime and orange juices. You can serve this as soon as the fish turns opaque – i.e. solid white – which takes about 30 minutes.
Tilapia Ceviche
Ingredients
- 1 pound white saltwater fish tilapia works especially well
- 1 cup lime juice fresh squeezed - - or enough to cover cubed fish
- 2 Tbsp. orange juice fresh squeezed - or bitter orange is better
- 1 tsp. Kosher salt paleo diet: sea salt
- 1 tsp. lime zest
- 1/4 tsp. sugar
- 1 jalapeno cored, seeded and diced
- 1 red onion sliced very thinly into half-moons (pickle in 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 cup ice water and 2 tablespoons of white vinegar for 20 minutes; dry onion thoroughly before using.)
- 2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Cut the fish into small pieces: You can dice it or leave it in pieces up to 1/2 inch square, but remember that the larger the pieces the longer it will take to “cook.”.
- Salt the fish, then cover with the citrus juice in a non-reactive (glass preferably) container with a lid.
- Add the sliced onions, jalapenos, lime zest and sugar.
- Chill in the fridge for about 4 hours. When you take it out of the fridge add the cilantro and stir. The "cook" time is the time in the fridge. The acid will "cook" the fish to a nice consistency.
- To serve: place ceviche in a glass bowl and scoop using a plastic serving spoon.
- DO NOT use a metal spoon because the acid will react with the metal.
- Ceviche is so sharp and acidic it cries out for beer and tortilla chips as an accompaniment -- although you won't find tortilla chips in Peru. In Peru, you will most often find this served with potatoes, either sweet or white.
Notes
Frozen tilapia is fine to use but fresh is better if you can find it. Be sure to have it fully thawed when you start to prepare the dish.
Use fresh limes put all the sliced pieces of tilapia in a glass or ceramic dish. Do not use a metal prep bowl. Be sure to use enough lime juice to cover the tilapia and you can cover it with plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator while the acid "cooks" it. The tilapia will actually turn white just as when you cook with heat.
When the tilapia turns a bit firm and white it will be done. This usually takes 3 to 4 hours.
Freezing it is a no no. You can eat it up to two days later, but the fish will become progressively softer.
If you want to make ceviche that really has some heat we would take 3 or 4 of the Panamanian version of the habanero or scotch bonnet peppers, core them, remove the seeds and place large slices into the dish while the lime juice cooks the fish. Once it is finished and ready to serve, remove the slices of those habanero peppers.