It's not every day that one gets a special request for ceviche. But that's what happened in Newport this year, and how could I refuse? Our staggeringly good looking host said merely "I'd like to learn how to make ceviche" and with two eager cooks in the kitchen as well as access to the freshest local fish at Anthony's fish market just down the road, the game was on.
I'm no ceviche master (I'm not Peruvian, for one), but it's one of the easiest things to make, and there really isn't a recipe. I like this kind of "cooking" for those weekends when people are milling from porch to cocktail to hammock to deck chair. With my favorite cooking buddy beside me, the tunes cranking (check out the Black Keys btw), and a glass of wine or two down the hatch, we were OFF!
For ceviche #1 we used:
a pound of the freshest flounder cut into small cubes, maybe a half inch big
one hot pepper (not jalapeno because the store didn't have any, another small pale green hot pepper)
handful of cherry tomatoes, diced
half small red onion, finely minced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
handful of cilantro, finely minced
juice of 3 limes
salt to taste
Mix up all the ingredients and let it "cook" for 30 - 45 minutes. It will be done when the fish has gone translucent and feels firm to the touch. Taste a little bit and see. When you think the fish is done, stir it all up again and adjust the seasonings (may need more salt or more lime). Serve with tortilla chips.
Our first attemp was such a resounding success that we made it again the next night. For ceviche #2 we used:
about a pound and a half of the local flounder cut into small cubes
one hot pepper (jalapeno this time)
handful of cherry tomatoes, diced
half small red onion, finely minced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
handful of cilantro, finely minced
juice of 2 limes and one lemon
small dribble of the pickling juice from a can of jalapenos (secret ingredient, shhhh....)
salt to taste
It's hard to say which was the best -- the pickling juice did add a nice vinegar tang to the second one, but the first one was so eagerly gobbled up by our host that it might have been my favorite. I like to please people with yumminess.
Ceviche can be made with scallops, shrimp, mixed fish (select firm white fish for the best result) or in any combination you like. You can add in diced radishes or jicama for crunch, or avocado for creamy lusciousness. Ceviche can be down and dirty or tarted up and sophisticated -- you can serve it as they do in Mexico with saltines, or in lettuce cups or endive spears for a light starter for a dinner party. So the next time you don't feel like cooking, whip up a batch of ceviche, crack a tall frosty beer, and enjoy your summer night.
** With my apologies for the crappy blue picture. Twas the twilight dontcha know?
