Ceviche/Seviche

[hazardnc]

Summer in Charlotte is my least favorite season. By July, the humidity is so high I sweat standing still, my lawn succumbs to the heat and crab grass takes over, mosquitoes keep me out of the garden in the mornings and evenings and I am forced to take my runs before sunrise to avoid the Code Orange ozone warnings. From the first official day of summer I am looking forward to the first cold front!

There are a few summer dishes, however, that almost make up for the misery. Insalata caprese, panzanella, gazpacho, grilled corn and my ultimate favorite, ceviche.

I have been cooking Rick Bayless's version since it first appeared in Marth Stewart Living several years ago Rick's Seviche 101.

I know the Peruvians are famous for their ceviche. Some versions feature shrimp, others fish and others still conch.

Will you share your recipe with me and give me something to look forward to?

Edited 1 hour ago by Smithy
Adjusted title (capitalization) (log)

[johnnyd]

Jeez, I dunno.

Rick's 101 has too much stuff interfering with the fish, who are in turn, interfering with each other. I've had some delicious things like it, but one seafood item and easy on the tomato.

My favorite is a simple lime juice, coarsely chopped garlic, thai bird chili or other hot pepper, and cilantro - and I use the freshest possible seafood. Our scallop season just closed but up 'til then, I've sliced big raw scallops into thirds and into the juice they go. I find three to six hours is just right. Overnight gets a bit tough, but not bad. Same with fresh shrimp off the boat (in season in winter only), but one hour cuz they're so small. We're getting fresh squid from RI now. Should I try it?

What's really fresh there now?

[inespm]

Mi favorite

Salmon, mango and peruvian orange pepper

I put the salmon with lemon and mandarin to marinate for 10 minutes, in the blender I make a mixture with mango, peruvian pepper, sugar, salt, pepper, apple vinegar and olive oil and added to the salmon. After that I put purple onion, sweet red pepper and coriander leaves

[LindaK]

Rick's 101 has too much stuff interfering with the fish, who are in turn, interfering with each other.

maybe I misread the recipe but I didn't see it calling for more than one fish...

other than that, it seemeed like a fairly traditional recipe, the only item that struck an odd note was the olives. What do you find objectionable? Are there prefered combos of ingredients?

[johnnyd]

No, I mis-read the recipe:

1  pound  fresh skinless striped bass, snapper, halibut, or other white ocean fish fillets, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

I thought it was all together!

I wouldn't put olives in a fresh ceviche but I would consider it in an ESCABECHE...

[fifi]

I like to keep it simple. I use the little key limes as a preference. Basically, lime juice, onion, a little garlic, hot pepper of choice, a little cilantro or parsley (I come from a long line of cilantro haters), salt, of course and that is about it for the "cooking." I offer fresh diced onion and tomato, radish and more peppers for serving. And, don't forget the Saltines.

[sandra]

my favourite for summer is a Ceviche Acapulco, made with lime marinated fish or cooked shrimp, (or both) chopped tomatoes, tomato juice, chopped onion, chopped cilantro, chipotle, olive oil, lime juice, salt, worcester sauce and sliced olives and the secret ingredient... ketchup.

say what you want, but try it before you diss it...

[mrsadm]

First, how do you pronounce ceviche? Is it "se-vish" or "se-vish-ay"?

First I heard it comes from Mexico, a lime-marinated but uncooked seafood. Is that correct? Can it be a starter or main or both? Then I heard it's from other South American countries as well.

Why is it everyone on Top Chef is making it? Why is it so popular now?

[wattacetti]

It's the new sushi.

The second pronunciation is correct, and it's made throughout Latin and South America, though I think it actually originates from Peru. The "traditional" version consists of fish, limes, salt, chile and onion. After that you can go nuts.

I've made it as both a starter and a main, but I've seen it more commonly served as a starter only.

[Jaymes]

First, how do you pronounce ceviche?  Is it "se-vish" or "se-vish-ay"? 

First I heard it comes from Mexico, a lime-marinated but uncooked seafood.  Is that correct? Can it be a starter or main or both?  Then I heard it's from other South American countries as well. 

Why is it everyone on Top Chef is making it?  Why is it so popular now?

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Of course, actual pronounciations vary, even within countries, but I'd say the last syllable has a stronger sound than "shay." The pronounciation I've heard most often is more like "chay" - say-VEE-chay.

And as for why it's suddenly popular, who knows. I guess it's just part of a cycle, and in the US, its turn has come. But seviche/ceviche has been very, very popular in Latin/Spanish countries forever. You could even argue that it's the national dish of Peru. And I used to live in Panama, where they consider it a national dish as well. The truth is, you can find it anywhere in Latin America that has a coastline.

Edited August 17, 2007 by Jaymes (log)

[Peter Green]

When Doug Rodriguez ran his class at the WGF back in 2003, it seemed very much a Peru/Ecuador origin. And now, reading Shukman's The Lost City, with his description of a cevicheria on the coast, I can feel my mouth watering.

Coriander, lime juice, some chilis, and shallots. Let the fish sit in that for a short spell, and then off you go. I love doing this, but my wife's teeth are getting sensitive to the citrus, which is what "cooks" the fish.

You can play with infusions to do with this. Rodriguez worked one up in Bangkok that had coconut milk infused with the standard kaffir leaves, lemon grass, and galanga. This actually worked really well with mackerel.

His recommendation was to take ceviche with something corn based. Popcorn would work. It'll cut the bite of the lime on your teeth.

An interesting note, I've seen the basic recipe of ceviche used in duck and game as a marinade to take away some of the harshness from the meat before cooking.

I gotta go. Now that I've written this, I've gotta find a fish now and do things.

[SundaySous]

Using a basting brush a quick pass of Tequila after lime juice has done it's thing will take the "sting" out of the citrus. You end up with slightly bitter taste.

[Peter Green]

Using a basting brush a quick pass of Tequila after lime juice has done it's thing will take the "sting" out of the citrus. You end up with slightly bitter taste.

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Is there any benefit of using "good" tequila, or do you lose the flavour?

[Reignking]

I pronounce it seh-veech-ay.

While living in Mexico, I learned that they put lime (limon) on everything. Originally, it was to kill bacteria. Now, it is part of the cuisine, like having salt & pepper in an American house.

[SundaySous]

Is there any benefit of using "good" tequila, or do you lose the flavour?

Knowing me it was probably Jose Cuervo and not the Gold either. The chef that showed me this said they used a spray bottle at the restaurant. I've had Tequila marinated chicken and salmon also and I kinda wonder if they were doing it the same way.

The only reason I can think of going top shelf here might be to adjust the "bitter" taste. I smoke so I really don't notice the bitter some people do.

[Tess]

Don't forget the Hawaiian cousins of ceviche: poke and lomi lomi salmon. The lomi lomi salmon is salt-cured. The poke is not "cooked" with acid or anything else (usually)-- like ceviche, however, it sits in a dressing and is is a lovely refreshing side dish or starter. These days it's trendy like ceviche and also comes in a bunch of variations.

[Gabriel Lewis]

Have you ever had an excellent ceviche before? If you have, I think you would understand it's popularity. Of course, as Jaymes mentioned, part of that is just how certain fooods get poopularized in the U.S., but I think in ceviche's case it is deserved attention. A well made ceviche is an explosion of hot, salty, and sour flavors combined with the mouthfilling texture of "raw" seafood and the crunchy bite of raw onions. One thing to remember when making ceviche is that it requires a lot of good quality sea salt. It is intensely acidic, and without the necessary portion of salt to balance the flavors ceviche is just witheringly sour.

It's origins are highly disputed, but peruvians make a strong claim for it. One theory I have heard proposes that it was a method of preserving fish to bring into the Andean mountains, and that evolved as part of the court cuisine of the Incans in peru. Originally it was made there with the sour juice of some sort of tropical fruit, but it is now made with almost exclusively citrus (usually lime). If you're interested, I'd highly recommend douglas rodriguez's book Ceviche. As an aside, I think ceviches are strikingly similar to thai hot and sour seafood salads. Rodriguez's "creation" sounds like a pretty standard incarnation of a few thai hot and sour salads.

To clarify, the fish isn't "cooked" with heat, but it isn't really raw at the same time. It is left in a highly acid medium until the acid has fully penetrated the seafood, and if you use fish, it will actually turn white once ready. The texture remains quite similar to that of raw seafood, but it isn't really raw; highly acidic conditions will coagulate and affect the proteins in the seafood.

An interetesing variaton is tiradito, a sort of cross between sashimi and ceviche. Supposedly a product of the influence of a large japanese immigrant population in peru, the fish is sliced very thinly instead of cut into hunks, and cures much more quickly than traditional ceviche.

[Peter Green]

As an aside, I think ceviches are strikingly similar to thai hot and sour seafood salads. Rodriguez's "creation" sounds like a pretty standard incarnation of a few thai hot and sour salads.

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I'd agree, but I don't think it was so much that Doug thought it a creation, but rather a happy congruence of methods.

If you look at Lao cooking, lime juice is pretty much part of the Holy Trinity (or should that be tripitaka) of cooking: galanga, lemon grass, and lime juice. I recall that everything was getting an extra douse of lime when I was there. It's just a sensible thing, as the lime will kill bacteria (okay, it may miss the odd liver fluke....but....)

My favourite, that many people that eat with me in Bangkok cringe at, is the raw shrimp in marinade. What I have to explain to them is that, although the shrimp is still wonderfully raw, the lime and chili have pretty much cleansed it (at least I hope so.....maybe I should watch the first Alien movie again?)

Cheers,

Peter

[Dave Hatfield]

Where are all the San Franciscans? Ceviche has been an institution in the city as long as I can remember.

All the best seafood restaurants have always served it. I don't think anyone in SF would claim that it originated there, but if asked most would ascribe the origin as Italian.

Come on city residents lets hear from you.

[viva]

Most importantly, ceviche is the best in the summertime heat... no cooking required!

[jsmith]

If one is making cerviche at home, does one have to worry about parasites the way one does with sushi, or does the lime juice take care of that?

[wattacetti]

If one is making cerviche at home, does one have to worry about parasites the way one does with sushi, or does the lime juice take care of that?

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You're not making it with say, fish from Lake Ontario right? Given that most (if not all) of our available ocean fish has been frozen at some point, I wouldn't be that worried over the parasites. However, cod isn't exactly a species that I'd choose for this either.

There is a Peruvian fish called pequiero (sp?), but I use mostly striped bass (loup de mer), salmon and Patagonian toothfish.

[JAZ]

Where are all the San Franciscans? Ceviche has been an institution in the city as long as I can remember.

All the best seafood restaurants have always served it. I don't think anyone in SF would claim that it originated there, but if asked most would ascribe the origin as Italian.

Come on city residents lets hear from you.

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You're talking about California? I lived in San Francisco for more than 20 years and never noticed that the "best" seafood restaurants served it. It's popular, naturally, at Mexican and South American restaurants, but that's all that I saw. And I've never heard anyone claim it was Italian.

[melkor]

Where are all the San Franciscans? Ceviche has been an institution in the city as long as I can remember.

All the best seafood restaurants have always served it. I don't think anyone in SF would claim that it originated there, but if asked most would ascribe the origin as Italian.

Come on city residents lets hear from you.

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You're talking about California? I lived in San Francisco for more than 20 years and never noticed that the "best" seafood restaurants served it. It's popular, naturally, at Mexican and South American restaurants, but that's all that I saw. And I've never heard anyone claim it was Italian.

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I'd argue that raw fish rather than ceviche is a San Francisco institution, mostly because of the easy access to high quality fish. What seafood restaurants in SF are any good and don't have a raw fish item on the menu? Italians have long had crudo, I'd imagine that is what Dave Hatfield is referring to... Incanto and others have been serving it for years. There's even a great taco truck in Watsonville in a gas station parking lot that serves a seriously good ceviche de pescado for a buck and change a plate.

Edited August 16, 2007 by melkor (log)

[SundaySous]

I would think using frozen you would want to defrost in fridge and start from there.