With the heat of summer around the corner, and sort of already here in South Florida, (though it is raining today) I decided it was time to make ceviche.  Ceviche is probably the quintessential summer (read “hot weather”) dish.  But, the thing is, it is barely springtime, so I thought some spring fruit might be a nice addition.  Maybe even some diced sugar snap peas or asparagus….Ceviche is a rather odd word, isn’t it?.  I doubt if there’s any hard and fast root for the word. Siwichi, in the spoken Quechua, one of the native languages of the region, may be the root for the word, “ceviche”.  Or it could be from the Spanish, “escabeche”, which simply means “pickled”, which is pretty much what happens with ceviche.  But, it matters not what we call it.  What matter is that we make it and enjoy it…frequently.

Several South American countries, Ecuador, Chile, Argentina and though New World, Mexico, all have their version(s) of ceviche.  But, no country is as synonymous with ceviche, as Peru.  There is even some archaeological evidence indicating that the indigenous Peruvians were eating a very similar version of ceviche, as far back as 2,000 year ago.  At any rate, you’ll generally find versions of ceviche in the countries that have a vibrant coastal region.

And there’s a good reason for the relationship between the sea and ceviche.  Ceviche is about fresh, fresh, fresh.  The fish truly needs to be just dead-fresh!  And, generally speaking, you want a non-oily fish, such as this corvina, but  sea bass, snapper, tilapia or halibut all work well, too.  You can use cod, but I prefer a slightly firmer textured fish (and I’ll post a ceviche using fresh tuna tomorrow–yeah, I know tuna is an oily fish, but hey, it’s good).  I don’t use the shrimp in their raw state, but actually cook them briefly, as I think the texture is better in the end.  But, “briefly” is the operative word here; no more than 2 minutes in a “hot water bath”.  The reason shrimp gets rubbery, is over-cooking.  So, let’s not do that.

Ceviche is very simple to prepare, and makes a terrific after work dinner.  But, there are few things to think about.  First of all, keep everything frigid cold.  I did cut the fish earlier in the day, hence the ice cubes.  But it is really best to purchase the fish and use it as soon as you get it home.  This is a good, general rule of thumb when working with fish or seafood of any kind.   Next, it’s important to submerge the seafood in the citrus juices; the pieces of fish should be covered with the juices.  (It isn’t terribly important that the shrimp be covered, as they are already cooked.)  This is essential to evenly “cook” the fish.  I like to place the fish cubes and shrimp in a deep glass bowl, as it makes it easier to submerge them in the citrus juices.  I find that a glass measuring cup works well.  Cover and chill, but don’t “over-cook” the seafood.  Thirty minutes should do it; I check after 15 minutes.  More than half an hour and the texture of the fish is compromised.  It will begin to get mushy and at one hour, the fish falls apart.  As to everything else, feel free to combine the fruits and vegetables a bit ahead of time (or in the morning before work).  Cover and chill the mixture.  But, combine the fruit/veggie mixture with the seafood just before serving, about 5 minutes.   I add the herbs and avocado, just before serving, along with the seafood.  This approach keeps the flavors sharp and pure, allowing you to taste every layer of flavor individually, as well as all together.  Let your taste buds do the mixing!  I usually serve ceviche either in a dish with cucumber and tomato wedges, or like this, on a plate with slices of the same.  If I intend to add some lovely, diced summer tomatoes, I add them with the fish, as we NEVER refrigerated a garden tomato, do we?  We want all those nuanced flavors that a garden tomato offers us and cold is their enemy.  These little red tomatoes are from the patio tomato plant on our back steps.  Those little guys have some really nice flavor.  I also garnished each portion with some of these little Peruvian Sweetie Drop Peppers.  I get them on the salad bar at one of the area Whole Foods™, but you can purchase the on-line, too.  If you can’t find these or don’t want to mess around with mail order, I’ve used the Peppadew Pickled Peppers® instead.  But, they really aren’t as cute, are they?

For the purposes of clarity and honesty, I used less fish.  It was a choice, as I wanted the sweetness of the fruit to be more forward.  The Spicy Honey tends to prefer things less sharp than The Goddess, who likes things that are so sharp they bite back!  We’re a mixed marriage.  By the way, feel free to use substitute well-trimmed bay scallops for part or all of the fish.  They are lovely and are handled exactly like the fish.  And the shrimp can be omitted and replaced by an equal amount of fish.  There are all sorts of options here.  Octopus and calamari can also be used…options!

I have seen a recipe that suggests cooking the shrimp in coconut milk.  I haven’t tried it, but damn!  I’ll bet it’s really nice.  Fortunately, it’s early in the year, so there will be many opportunities to try it!  Tomorrow, Tuna-Avocado Ceviche.

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