Using fresh fish to serve up some ceviche

Manasses Aranha, a fishing guide in Brazil, prepares fresh ceviche from the fillets of a silver croaker soaked in lime juice and soy sauce.
Manasses Aranha, a fishing guide in Brazil, prepares fresh ceviche from the fillets of a silver croaker soaked in lime juice and soy sauce.

On one of my first trips to Mexico more than a decade ago, I sampled a wonderful dish of fresh largemouth bass marinated in lime juice, chilies and various spices. At first, I was hesitant to try it. When you’re visiting a country south of the border, you have to be leery about eating anything uncooked. My host assured me, however, that the fish had actually been “cooked” in the citrus juice and was safe to eat. So I gave it a try.

I was surprised how deliciously spicy this exotic new dish was. It quickly became one of my favorite foreign repasts. In the years since, I’ve tried variations of the basic recipe in Brazil, Venezuela and, more recently, several U.S. restaurants.

Known as ceviche (sometimes spelled seviche or cebiche), this uniquely American fish dish is enormously popular in the western countries of South America, as well as Mexico, the Caribbean and other parts of Latin America. It has many variations but is basically a simple blending of fish and citrus juice, with the addition of vegetables and spices.

The chemical process that occurs when the citric acid comes in contact with the fish is similar to what happens when the fish is cooked and the flesh becomes opaque and firm. The fish is not actually cooked, but the resulting dish is tasty indeed. South American cooks often use the juice of their lemons, which are not as sweet as those in this country. Further north, limes are the fruit of choice, although many people use a mixture of lemon and lime, and sometimes orange or grapefruit juice as well.

Ceviche often is served as an appetizer or light entree. Almost any fish or shellfish can be incorporated, as long as it is absolutely fresh. You can include onions, chilies, tomatoes, peppers, cilantro and a wide variety of other ingredients. I like to experiment with my own additions, and using the following recipes as a guide, you can, too.

Bass Ceviche

Ingredients:

1 pound black bass fillets, diced in 1/8-inch cubes

1 cup orange juice

1 cup lemon juice

1 cup lime juice

1/2 cup cilantro leaves

2 tomatoes, quartered, seeded, cut in small strips

1 Bermuda onion

1 jalapeño pepper, finely diced

4 each orange, lime and lemon segments for garnish

Directions:

Mix the orange, lemon and lime juices in a large bowl. Reserve half for the final preparation. Combine the remaining half with the diced black bass. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, combine the cilantro, tomato, onion and jalapeño pepper in a mixing bowl. Remove the black bass from the refrigerator and strain it, discarding all the marinating juices.

In a separate bowl, combine the black bass with the cilantro, tomato, onion, jalapeño pepper mixture. Add the remaining 1 1/2 cups of juices.

Arrange the ceviche in four equal portions on salad plates. Garnish each with 1 section of a lemon, a lime and an orange.

Catfish Ceviche With Fresh Vegetable Salsa

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds catfish fillets

1 red onion, cut into fine strips

1 white onion, cut into fine strips

2 fresh lemons, halved

2 fresh limes, halved

Salt, pepper

1 ounce olive oil

2 ounces sweet cream butter

1 red pepper, cut into fine strips

1 green pepper, cut into fine strips

1 tablespoon minced garlic

Directions:

Cut the catfish fillets into bite-sized pieces. Mix in a bowl with the red onion and white onion. Squeeze the lemons and limes into the bowl, getting all the juice you can. Add salt and pepper to taste, cover, and allow to marinate at least 24 hours in the refrigerator, stirring occasionally.

Heat the olive oil and butter in a saute pan. Place the pieces of catfish in the pan, and brown on all sides. Add the red and green pepper, garlic and contents of the marinade, and saute an additional 30 seconds, or just until warm. Serve immediately.

Crappie and Scallop Ceviche

Ingredients:

1 pound crappie fillets

1/2 pound bay scallops

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup fresh lime juice

1/2 cup chopped fresh mint (or 2 tablespoons dried)

1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

3/4 cup chopped tomatoes

1/2 cup chopped red onion

Lettuce leaves

1 ripe avocado

Mint sprigs

Directions:

Slice the crappie fillets and scallops lengthwise. Then slice crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Combine the crappie, scallops, lemon juice, lime juice, mint and hot pepper sauce in a shallow nonmetallic container. Cover tightly, and refrigerate for 8-24 hours. When ready to serve, drain the crappie and scallops. Add the tomatoes and red onion; toss well. Peel and slice the avocado. Arrange the ceviche on plates lined with lettuce. Garnish with avocado slices and mint sprigs.

Quick and Easy Ceviche

Ingredients:

1 pound fillets from your favorite fish

Chopped jalapenos, to taste

1/2 onion, chopped

Lemon juice

Lime juice

Directions:

Dice the raw fish. Add the jalapenos and onion, and combine. Place this mixture in a glass bowl. Completely cover the mixture with juices, using a proportion of 1 lemon to 4 limes. Cover the bowl, place in the refrigerator, and marinate for 8-24 hours. Serve with crackers or tortillas.

Trout Ceviche

Ingredients:

Fillets from 4 medium trout

1/2 red pepper, sliced

1/2 green pepper, sliced

1 large onion, sliced

2 garlic cloves, diced Juice from 3 limes

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Salt

Fresh-ground black pepper

1/4 cup white vinegar

Directions:

Dice the fillets into 1-inch-square pieces. Combine the fish, red pepper, green pepper, onion, garlic cloves and lime juice in a medium bowl. Season with garlic powder and a dash of salt and pepper. Add the vinegar, and mix. Pour into a gallon zip-seal plastic bag, and marinate in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Serve as a spread over hot garlic toast.

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