Care to share your secret recepie for ceviche' de pescado?

[Lynn]

Preferably a simple one?

With my high-protein, low-carb diet, I'm getting real tired of protein bars and jerkey for snacks, so I've been playing around with limes, cilantro, red onion, garlic, and tilapia using various recepies I've found online. So far the results have been less than palatable...

The recepies vary from one hour to 'at least' 24 hours for the fish to pickle, but it seems that if I leave it overnight the lime juice starts to break down the fish.

Also, any suggestions for dippers? Tortilla chips and plantain chips are out, so I've been just wrapping it in lettuce. Probably be OK if I get the ceviche' figured out.

So, how's it done?

 

[obscurotron]

I've never seen anyone make a successful tilapia ceviche. Ever. My family has been making the stuff since before I was born, and I've always used or seen used halibut, sea bass, striped bass, the odd salmon, shrimp, prawns, etc., but never a freshwater fish.

If you can get your hands on some halibut or sea bass, try that. I think you'll be impressed.

 

[d1sc0ver]

I've never seen anyone make a successful tilapia ceviche. Ever. My family has been making the stuff since before I was born, and I've always used or seen used halibut, sea bass, striped bass, the odd salmon, shrimp, prawns, etc., but never a freshwater fish.

If you can get your hands on some halibut or sea bass, try that. I think you'll be impressed.

I agree, tilapia is too fragile.

 

[DarioCarrera]

Hi Lynn, I have only tried a version of this recipe:

http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=10000001194615

Pretty good!

 

[rusty_tlc]

Striper bass also works well.

 

[AZchris]

I'm eating paleo, so the chips are out for me too. I like to use bell peppers as a dipper. Celery is nice too, crunchy.

 

[dwh]

Last time I had it in Baja (San Filipe) they spread the ingredients in thin cookie-sheet like pans (like 1/2" thick) and just pour in enough citrus to cover. They did it just before bed and then you eat it at sunup for breakfast while the ceviche is cool and before it gets warm and starts to reek.

I remember hearing one of the cooks explaining to some gringo (well, some other gringo) that the acid cooks the fish and something about (my spanish isn't that good) "when it stops bubbling it's done".

Off the trucks in SoCal they mostly just use cooked chilled shrimp, then they dice it and mix in the other ingredients right there when you order it.

I usually just have them pour it over avocado and I eat it with a spoon.

 

[Lynn]

Thanks for all the suggestions!

dwh, I know avocado is generally considered a healthy fruit, but it's out for me. Boy, that sounds good, though.

Strictly speaking, the lime juice pickles the fish, in effect cooking it, and it should last more than few hours, right? especially refrigerated.

I hadn't noticed it bubbling, but I've been putting it in a covered dish in the refrigerator. I wonder if exposure to air is necessary for the pickling? I don't think so...

Shrimp has to be cooked first, though.

 

[dwh]

Dunno about the bubbling, but yea once it's made it should keep fine in a fridge. The lady who I got mine from didn't put it in a fridge, which is why we ate it for breakfast. She spread all the ingredients into the pans, fish, onions, tomatoes, diced cucumbers, bell pepper, chilis, cilantro...maybe something else, not sure, crab maybe...all chopped very fine and then covered it all with the citrus juice, which I think was sort of a mixture of grapefruit and lime with a bit of orange.

We caught some yellowfin and one of the guys knew the lady so we took the fish to her and she made it up in her house. We went back to camp to sleep and then went and ate the ceviche for breakfast on deep fried corn tortillas. With beer. She charged us like 10 bucks and a couple of good size fish. She supplied all the ingredients except the fish. I think she might have been related to that old geezer with the big Dodge 4by who used to launch the boats at Ruben's.

As for pickling...don't know much about it. I remember my grandma's pickle jugs sitting in a dark corner behind the door with a loose top just to keep the dust out. The jugs were open to the air. I do remember some sort of chemical reaction. She would occasionally, like once a week I think, skim off some scum or something and add some more of this or that spice or liquid.

Shrimp ceviche is sort of like instant ceviche. They grab a few cooked shrimp and the other ingredients and dice it all up and squeeze some juice on it while you wait. Just takes a minute. Pretty good though.

One place I worked there was this old guy who would pull up, back his car in and pop the trunk and had a little kitchen in it. He would make up instant ceviche right there and put a scoop of rice on a paper plate with the ceviche in the center and home made salsa around the outside. He also had home made tamales, but they were like Guatemalan style or something - wrapped in banana leaves instead of corn husks and then steamed heavily. Tasty, but a bit too gooey and slimey.