This is one of the easiest recipes in my repertoire, in no small part because there’s no actual cooking involved. This dish relies upon the age-old method of “cooking” the raw fish in highly acidic juices like lime or lemon. As a result, it’s almost pickled and, therefore, something that will last in your fridge for at least a few days. In fact, I’ve found that it’s better the second day, although the preparation and “cooking” can be don in an afternoon and then eaten immediately.
This dish, served as an appetizer, side, or entrée, can be modified and adjusted to taste. Keep in mind that the basics for ceviche are raw fish and lime juice, so from there you can do whatever floats your boat.
Let me add that what I used for what’s in the pictures came from a deep sea fishing trip in 2022. We have a fair amount stored in our chest freezer, so I break some out when we get a hankering. For your home, you may not have ready access to the ocean. In place of the yellowtail I used, you can ask your seafood counter or butcher for sushi-grade fish of just about any type. Also, a #1 frozen tuna found in your grocer’s freezer is a viable substitute.
Obligatory Legal Warning Verbiage:
“Consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish or eggs may increase your risk of foodborne illness.”
Note: The photos are of a recipe about three times the size of what’s provided below. What can I say? We had a lot of fish thawed and I wasn’t going to waste it.
Ingredients
– 12 – 16 oz sushi-grade yellowtail (or any other sushi-grade fish)
– 4 – 12 limes (you’ll need 1-2 cups of lime juice, depending on how much fish you have)
– 2 teaspoons guajillo chili powder
– cup Ponzu sauce (preferably lime)
– ¼ – ½ cup diced green onion
– ½ cup finely chopped cilantro
– 1 avocado
– 4 – 6 grated radish
– 1 finely diced jalapeno (remove seeds to remove heat)
– 1 – 2 teaspoons Asian chili paste
– 1 – 2 teaspoons Japanese Barbecue Sauce (sweet chili sauce is good substitute)
– 1 teaspoon powdered ginger
– ½ cup diced red onion
– 1 teaspoon wasabi powder
– 1 – 2 tablespoons black / toasted sesame seeds
– Mariquitas (plantain chips), fried wonton wrap chips or tortilla chips (plantains are better)
Preparation
1) Squeeze six to twelve whole limes (about 1 to 2 cups) so that in your final mixture, the fish and avocado are completely covered
Initial Marinade Mixture
In a bowl, mix
– ¼ cup Ponzu sauce
– 2 teaspoons of guajillo powder
– 1 teaspoon Asian chili paste
– 1 teaspoon Japanese Barbecue Sauce
– 1 teaspoon powdered ginger
– 1 teaspoon wasabi powder
– ¼ cup lime juice
Prepping the Rest
Shred the radish and set aside
Finely dice the jalapeno and set aside
Dice the red onion and set aside
Dice / slice your fish
Option A: For a more salsa-like appetizer served with chips, cube the fish into ¼ to ½ inch cubes
Option B: For a more ceviche-like side or main dish (that still has the plantains because they’re soooo good together), slice the fish in to 1-inch by ¼ inch slices that are bite-sized.
Dump the fish into a large, sealable container
Add the radish
Add jalapeno
Add red onion
Add the cilantro
Add the green onion
Add the Initial Marinade Mix
Mix the entire mass thoroughly to ensure all fish is coated
Add enough lime juice to ensure that the top of the liquid comes to just the top of the fish
Mix thoroughly
Set any remaining lime juice aside
Close/seal the contain and place it in the fridge for between two and four hours
When it’s ready, remove the container, open and set aside
Cube the avocado into ¼ to ½ inch pieces and add immediately to the ceviche
Mix thoroughly, and add more lime juice until the entire mass is immersed to the top
At serving time, add a dash of the black sesame seeds as well as a small scoop of green onion. Get some of whatever chips you went with and…
That’s it! You’re ready to eat.
Yes, those are steamed, pan-seared dumplings on the side.
For the ceviche, we generally just scoop out a pile of the ceviche into the center of a plate, add some of the plantain chips around the outside, and dig in, eating it like chips and salsa. However, the following day (assuming there’s any left over) I just put some in a bowl and eat it like stew.
