Peak of summer, sweltering evenings, and absolutely no desire to fire up the stove or even the BBQ for that matter. Where has the breeze gone? My first instinct in this case is always to turn to that simple and oh so deliciously refreshing dish of ceviche. Convenient to both the temperature and the inevitable laziness that ensues, the Peruvian national dish reigns supreme in my summer kitchen.
Light, healthy, hugely flavorful and requiring very few ingredients, serving ceviche is one of the easiest ways to impress and introduce your guest(s) to the gourmet cuisine of the Americas. Ever since my trip to Peru many years ago, where I was introduced to its incredible cuisine even from a makeshift camping kitchen on our trek, I try to recreate the fresh and simple flavors every chance I get. It seems the world has caught on as well as evidenced by the explosion of Peruvian food’s popularity all over.
With so few ingredients, they all play a vital role in this dish and need to be balanced carefully. Onions, of the red variety specifically since they’re a bit sweeter, are first soaked in iced water briefly to tame their character a little bit.
Citrus can be mixed and experimented with but I always prefer the fruity sharpness of limes, most commonly used, than the sourness of lemons.
The fish needs to be firm and extremely fresh. Good candidates include sea bass (used here), tilapia, sea bream, halibut, snapper and dover sole. I love good size dices (roughly 1.5″ square) instead of slices – that way you get a perfect balance between the raw fish inside and ‘cooked’ exterior for that ultimate texture.
The plump sea bass just needs to chill out in the fridge for 30 minutes or so before becoming the star of your impressive summer lunch or dinner appetizer.
Serve it over the drained onions with some cilantro and finely chopped chili for a vibrant and intensely flavorful explosion.
- 1 large red onion, very finely sliced
- Juice of 10 -15 limes
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 1cm piece ginger, finely chopped
- 3 cilantro stems, leaves attached, roughly chopped
- 600g sea bass
- 1 serrano pepper, seeded and finely chopped
- Cilantro leaves, to garnish
- Wash the sliced onions and soak in ice water for 5 minutes. Drain thoroughly and spread out on kitchen paper or a tea towel to remove any excess water. Place in the fridge until needed.
- Roll each lime to loosen the juice, then squeeze over a small bowl. Be firm, but gentle, and avoid tearing the membranes, as this can make the juice bitter. Add the garlic, ginger and one of the cilantro stems to the juice.
- Dice the fish into 3cm x 2cm pieces, place in a large, shallow dish and sprinkle over some salt. Pour the lime juice through a sieve over the fish, discarding the ginger, garlic and cilantro stem. Use your fingers to gently turn the fish to ensure an even coverage of salt and juice, then refrigerate for at least half an hour - during this time the fish will 'cook' in the lime-juice marinade.
- When you are ready to serve, remove the onions and the fish from the fridge. Roughly chop the remaining cilantro stems and add it to the onions, along with the finely chopped serrano.
- Spread the onion mixture onto a large serving platter. Strain the fish from its marinade and place on top of the onions, then moisten with a little of the marinade. Serve immediately, scattered with the cilantro leaves.
