What Type Of Fish Is Traditionally Used In Ceviche?
Ceviche is an old-fashioned Peruvian seafood appetizer or snack that’s usually served as part of a meal.
It originated in Peru during colonial times, but it was popularized by immigrants from Spain who brought it to Cuba.
The traditional ingredients are raw fish (usually whitefish like snapper), onions, and tomatoes, all of which have high acidity levels.
The resulting dish tastes tangy because of the lemon juice and lime juice used to marinate the fish before serving.
There are many different types of ceviche recipes throughout Latin America, including some using chicken, shrimp, octopus, squid, mussels, clams, lobster, and even sweet potato!
This recipe calls for fresh tuna, also known as albacore.
What Is The Origin Of Ceviche?
The word “ceviche” comes from the Spanish language meaning to cut or slice into small pieces.
Ceviche usually refers to a particular style of preparation where raw food items such as meat, fish, shellfish, vegetables, fruits, etc., are cut into small cubes or slices before being soaked in an acidic mixture known as the marinade.
The acidity of this marinade will then tenderize these foods by breaking down their proteins to make them easier to digest.
In addition to its name, ceviche can be referred to simply as a “marinade” because it is often prepared using a combination of lemon juice (or lime) and vinegar.
This type of preparation dates back thousands of years ago when Native American tribes would soak fish in saltwater solutions containing various types of plants and spices like chili pepper, coriander seed, saffron, and paprika.
These ancient peoples believed the plant-based acids in the marinades helped preserve the fish so they could eat it later.
As time went on, the method was eventually adopted by Europeans who brought it over to South America and Mexico where it became popularized among many different cultures in those countries.
Today, the classic ceviche recipe uses white wine vinegar along with a variety of other ingredients including garlic, onions, chilies, tomatoes, avocados, limes, and more.
It may even include some form of sugar depending on how sweet you want your finished product to taste.
While there is no exact definition of what constitutes a true ceviche, most agree that one must use at least two kinds of fruit, either citrus or tropical, which have distinct flavors and textures that complement each other.
Some people believe that the ceviche should only contain raw fish but others prefer to add cooked meats, veggies, and fruits to enhance the flavor profile.
Some recipes call for cooking the seafood before soaking it in the marinade while others don’t cook anything at all.
One way to prepare your own ceviche is to follow our step-by-step guide below!
Soaking your chosen seafood in a marinade isn’t always necessary.
You can skip this part if you’d rather not wait around all day long until everything is ready.
Just remember that the longer the marinating process goes on, the more intense the flavor will become.
You can go ahead and skip this step if you’re short on time since we’ve already included instructions for preparing the marinade.
However, if you decide to do it yourself, please read through the following list of tips first to avoid any potential problems:
- Make sure your marinade doesn’t exceed 1 cup (250 mL).
- If you try to put too much liquid in your container, you’ll end up having to dump out half of it after adding the seafood.
- And yes, you really need to clean out your containers thoroughly afterwards.
- If your marinade contains alcohol, let it fully dissolve completely before pouring it onto your seafood.
- Otherwise, you might end up ruining your entire batch of ceviche.
- That’s why it’s important to stir things up every now and then so you can check whether the mix looks clear enough.
- Add the seafood to your marinade within 15 minutes of starting the whole thing.
- After that point, the seafood starts losing moisture and begins to deteriorate very quickly.
- Don’t forget about your seafood once it gets submerged in the marinade.
- Make sure you keep your hands away from it during the entire process otherwise you risk contaminating your food.
What Are The Key Ingredients In A Traditional Ceviche Recipe?
A ceviche is a seafood dish traditionally made with fish that has been marinated in citrus juice and spiced with aji peppers (or other spices).
It’s often served as an appetizer or snack.
This recipe for tuna ceviche also includes diced avocado, red onion, and fresh cilantro.
The resulting flavor combination will have you craving more!
How Is The Fish Cooked In Ceviche?
The classic method of cooking fish in this style involves first soaking the raw fish in lime or lemon juice mixed with salt, garlic, onions, chili powder, and other spices.
The acid from the citrus helps preserve the delicate protein within the fish as well as tenderize it.
Next, the seasoned fish is placed into an oven-safe container (such as a baking pan) along with chunks of avocado, sliced vegetables, and chopped herbs.
Finally, the whole thing is heated up on top of the stove until it’s hot throughout but not overcooked.
How Long Does It Take To Prepare Ceviche?
The preparation time of this recipe depends on how you choose to cook your food.
If you want to use an oven or a grill, then prep the ingredients ahead of time and let them sit while you preheat the cooking surface.
You can even do all of the steps for this recipe at once.
However, if you prefer to make everything from scratch, then there’s no need to start anything until after your raw meats have been cut up.
For example, I like to slice my salmon into thin strips before adding it to the bowl of lime juice and spices.
To marinate the fish, I add the salt, sugar, garlic powder, paprika, pepper flakes, and olive oil to the bowl.
After letting the mixture sit for about 20 minutes, I transfer it to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, which makes cleanup easier later on.
Finally, I put the baking sheet in the fridge overnight so that the flavors can develop and meld together.
What Are Some Common Accompaniments To Ceviche?
Ceviche is often accompanied by crudités (raw vegetables) or chips as well as sliced radishes, cucumbers, tomatoes, bell pepper, onions, corn on the cob, and other veggies.
It’s traditional to serve this spicy-sweet dish with tortilla chips as an appetizer at parties.
Crudites
You can have fun serving your guests their favorite crunchy foods like carrots, celery sticks, jicama sticks, cauliflower florets, and broccoli stems while they wait for their main course to arrive.
Chips
Try serving up potato wedges, French fries, sweet potatoes, or even crispy pita chips alongside of your ceviche.
Sliced Radishes
Radish slices add great texture to any meal, especially when paired with creamy textures such as guacamole, cream cheese, sour cream, yogurt, mayonnaise, or even butter.
Bell Peppers
A good way to include more color into your dish is to cut open a few red bell peppers and stuff them with chunks of tuna before you toss them in the refrigerator together with the rest of the ingredients.
This will give your ceviche a burst of vibrant flavor and help make sure all of the flavors blend nicely.
Onions
If you don’t want to use radishes, then try thinly slicing onions, removing the outer layers, and mixing them into the mixture during the cooking process.
Tomatoes
The acidity from tomatoes helps balance out the sweetness of the lime juice, so if you would rather not use limes, then simply substitute lemon juice instead.
Corn On The Cob
For those who prefer to keep things light, you can skip the heavy toppings altogether and just lightly season each ear of corn with salt and pepper before popping it directly onto the grill.
How Should Ceviche Be Served?
Ceviche can be eaten as an appetizer or main course.
- Appetizers: Tuna ceviche would make a great addition to your next cocktail party or summer soiree! It’s light, refreshing, and best enjoyed on its own.
- Main courses: If you’re planning to serve this tasty treat at home, it makes a wonderful dinner option!
Ingredients for Tuna Ceviche
What Are Some Tips For Making The Perfect Ceviche?
Ceviche is a type of raw fish or shellfish that’s traditionally marinated in lime juice to preserve its flavor.
The key to this recipe is using high quality ingredients such as jumbo lump crabmeat, which will give you more intense flavors.
If you want to make this recipe even better, try adding some chopped mangoes into your mix!
What Are Some Common Mistakes People Make When Making Ceviche?
Making ceviche can be tricky if you’re not familiar with how it’s done.
It requires careful chopping of ingredients so they don’t get mushy or overcooked.
You also need to avoid adding too much salt at once because the acidity of the lime will cause the other flavors to lose their punch.
Here are some common errors and pitfalls most home cooks make when trying to master this technique.
Overcooking the fish
When making any seafood recipe, you want to ensure your meat isn’t over-cooked.
The same goes for fish like tilapia which gets its flavor from being cooked through but still tender enough to eat without falling apart.
Overcooking fish will ruin its texture and make it tough to chew.
To test if your fish is ready, take a small bite out of one end.
If it feels firm but slightly chewy, then you’ve got yourself an ideal piece of fish.
It should have just the right amount of “give” and shouldn’t fall apart easily.
Adding too much salt
Salt is essential to the taste of many dishes, especially those containing seafood.
But while you may think salt enhances the flavor of fish, you actually want to keep it as low as possible.
Salt causes the acids found in citrus juices to break down more quickly, causing a lot of the fish’s natural flavor to dissipate.
Instead, add less than half a teaspoon per pound of fish (or two tablespoons total) in order to preserve all of its best qualities.
Chopping vegetables too finely
It sounds counterintuitive but finely chopped veggies will turn to mush when exposed to heat.
When cooking foods such as tomatoes, onions, ginger, or garlic, chop them into large chunks rather than tiny pieces.
Also, use wooden spoons instead of metal ones since they won’t conduct heat well and cause food to cook unevenly.
And lastly, never let anything cool until after cutting it—it takes time for the moisture inside to evaporate before it starts turning into goo!
What Are Some Creative Ways To Enjoy Cev
Ceviche can be enjoyed on its own or as an accompaniment to something else like rice and beans.
The basic idea behind this recipe is to use the acidity of citrus juice, along with other ingredients including onions, garlic, ginger, and hot chile peppers, to “cook” your food by breaking down the proteins in your chosen protein source.
This process allows you to create a unique flavor profile through the use of different spices and herbs.
If you want to add color to your meal, consider adding sliced ripe tomatoes into the mix.
They will provide another layer of sweetness without overpowering the flavors already present in the dish.
To get started, you’ll need about 1 pound (450 grams) of boneless tuna steak.
If you don’t have any left over from last night’s dinner, you might find it easier if you buy a whole chunk of tuna at your local grocery store instead.
Just ask them if they would cut it up for you.
That way, all you have to do is season it with salt, pepper, lime zest, and cayenne pepper.
Next step is to dice the vegetables.
You can chop the jalapeño very finely using a sharp knife, but if you prefer more heat, you could leave it unchopped and just remove the seeds before dicing it.
The key ingredient here is the amount of chilli powder used.
Too little and the result will not be spicy enough to satisfy your craving for spice.
On the other hand, too much may cause your taste buds to revolt against the intense heat.
You should also slice the onion thinly so that they cook quickly.
Next, combine everything together along with 2 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice and stir well until combined.
Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Remove from fridge and drain excess liquid, leaving the mixture slightly wet.
Use a fork to flake the tuna into bite-size pieces.
Once done, return the flakes back into the bowl along with the rest of the ingredients except for the tomato slices.
Mix gently yet thoroughly.
Stir again, then cover with cling film and place inside the refrigerator overnight.
When ready to serve, transfer to a serving plate and garnish with chopped scallions, and a few slices of tomato.
Serve immediately.
Equipment
- 1 Pot
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound Ahi tuna steak
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1/2 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1/2 Serrano pepper
- 1 lime juiced
- 5 leaves fresh mint
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
Instructions
- Soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, Serrano pepper, lime juice, mint, and sesame seeds should all be combined in a medium bowl.
- Diced tuna should be added to a bowl and coated with the soy sauce mixture.
- On top of six individual crackers, chips, or stacks of microgreens, assemble equal portions of tuna ceviche. Alternately, you might use roasted sweet potato slices as the basis, like Dos Caminos does.
- Add a slice of Serrano pepper and some black sesame seeds as a garnish.
Video
Nutrition
My blog is all about creating delicious meals with ingredients that are easy to find in your local grocery store. I’m passionate about making yummy meals that I can share with my friends and family.