Ceviche with Ontario Summer Vegetables

"Lime juice makes things taste fresher." Bobby Flay

Please don't judge me, followers! It's the best quote I could find!

Today's recipe is a request for ceviche. For those of you not familiar with this dish, allow me to explain! Ceviche is essentially a salad native of South and Central America, with Peru claiming to be it's nation of origin. The main ingredient in ceviche is fresh, raw fish or seafood which is 'cooked' in lime juice or a combination of other citrus juices.

Now, I must warn you about the risk of ceviche before we go any further! Since the fish is not cooked with heat, any parasites or bacteria will not be killed off because the citric acid is simply firming the up the protein, not actually cooking it. So, this is why it is most important to purchase 'sashimi grade' ocean fish or fish from a reputable fish monger for your ceviche. 'Sashimi grade' fish is what sushi is made from and is a great choice for ceviche as well. Once 'cooked' in the citrus juice, the fish will be firm and appear opaque, just as it would if it were cooked with heat. It is recommended to allow your fish to sit refrigerated in the citrus juice for 1 to 4 hours, depending on how well done you want your fish. Once strained from the 'cooking' liquid, the fish is then combined with different vegetables, fruit and various seasonings, served with corn chips, tostadas or plain crackers. 

It seems to me that there are as many different recipes for ceviche in South and Central America as there are homemade tomato sauce recipes across Italy. In other words, an infinite amount! So, today I am going to add to that number and make up my own ceviche recipe, using some basic ingredients, leaning towards a Mexican style salad. Hope you like it, Catherine!

 

 

Simple and Tasty Recipe:

 

Ceviche with Ontario Summer Vegetables

(serves 4 to 6 as a main, 8 to 12 as an appetizer)

 

500 gr firm white ocean fish, sashimi grade (I used halibut but red snapper, cod and sea bass are all great choices), small to medium dice, it's up to you

1 1/2 cups lime juice, freshly squeezed (about 8 good sized limes)

1 small onion, diced

1 tomato, diced

1/2 red pepper, diced

1/4 cucumber, diced

1 avocado, diced

1 jalapeno pepper, diced

1/3 cup cilantro, chopped

1 to 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, good quality

Sea salt to taste

*optional additions:

- finely chopped manzanilla green olives

- your fave hot sauce

- a splash of tomato or Clamato juice

- ketchup

- a pinch of sugar

- orange juice

- sweet corn

- sweet potatoes

 

In a shallow non-reactive bowl (I prefer glass or stainless steel) combine the fish, onion and lime juice. Cover the surface with a sheet of plastic wrap and gently press down to make sure all of the air out and the fish is submerged. Place in the fridge for 1 to 4 hours, depending on how 'cooked' you want your fish to be (the longer it sits, the more firm it will become).

Remove from the fridge, pour the contents of the bowl through a fine mesh strainer and place the fish mixture into a clean non-reactive bowl. Combine with the rest of the ingredients, adding as many of the optional ingredients as you wish!

Keep refrigerated until being served.

Serve with your fave corn chips, tostadas or plain crackers. Provecho!

As you can see, ceviche is super easy to make and allows you to get as creative with your ingredients as you want! Perfect for hot summer days, now is the time to present your guests with a large bowl of ceviche, piles of chips on the side and a generous selection of ice cold cervezas to wash it all down with! Does it get any better than that?!

Alrighty followers, just keep enjoying your summer and I'll be back soon with another tasty summertime recipe! Bye for now!