The Gourmet World of Ceviche

The amazing ceviche

A popular seafood dish in South and Central America, ceviche is made up of spicy raw fish and tangy citrus juices. The main ingredients found in ceviches are a variety of fish, citrus juice, onion and chilli peppers.

Mainly popular in South America, ceviche is made up of raw fish cut into chunks, and marinated in a citrus, salty and seasoned sauce. The juices can penetrate the fish and change its flavour but still retains its raw texture.

Instead of cooking the fish, the citrus juices are used instead to soak into the fish to ‘cook’ it. The dish has a light and refreshing taste and is a perfect meal for lunch or brunch. Although it is a traditionally South American dish, there are many varieties from other places in the world.

Different takes on ceviche recipes

A Thai Shrimp ceviche is a popular take on the basic dish and is sweet yet spicy which gives it a great Thai taste. You will need:

1/2 pound cooked shrimp, shelled, deveined and chopped
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup jicama, julienned
1/4 cup red bell pepper, julienned
1 tablespoon scallion, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons minced Serrano chilli pepper
1/2 cup fresh squeezed grapefruit juice
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup fresh grapefruit segments

Put your lime juice, salt and cooked shrimp in a large bowl, and allow it to sit for 5 minutes.

Next, add jicama, bell peppers, scallions, Serrano pepper, grapefruit juice and cilantro. Toss your mixture gently, then refrigerate until chilled or for about an hour.

When ready to serve, divide the shrimp mixture on your plates and garnish each plate with 2 tbsp of fresh grapefruit segments and serve. This recipe uses the citrus of the grapefruit to penetrate the shrimp and adds a sharp yet sweet taste to the dish.

For a Spanish style ceviche, gather together the following ingredients:

12 to 16oz lean white fish, diced in 1/2-inch cubes
8oz bay scallops
2/3 cup fresh lemon juice
2/3 cup fresh lime juice
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp fresh minced oregano
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1 tomato, diced
1/2 medium sweet onion, diced
1 tsp white vinegar
1 cup cooked bay shrimp
1 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded, deveined and minced
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro

Mix fish, scallops, half the lemon juice, half the lime juice, salt, and oregano in a bowl. Toss to coat the fish, cover, and refrigerate 2 hours. After 2 hours, drain juice completely. Place drained fish into a freezer bag.

In a bowl, combine remaining the rest of the lime and lemon juice, olive oil, pepper, cumin, tomato, onion, vinegar, shrimp, jalapeno, and cilantro. Stir well. Add to drained fish in the bag, squeeze out the air and seal.

Refrigerate overnight. Serve ceviche cold on a bed of mixed lettuce greens as a salad.

Refreshing and cool, ceviche makes the perfect summer dish.

Find more ceviche recipes on Recipebridge.