RECIPE: Ceviche de Pescado

I once dated a flamenco guitarist during a very confused and dark period of my life. Not to say that dating a man with fingernails longer than yours is necessarily the hallmark of a life spiraling out of control, but it was a rather good indication for me. He was sweet and kind and fragile, just like one would picture a musician of the flamenco variety. Except he had blonde hair and blue eyes and wore t-shirts that could barely fit a baby. I was confused, I tell you. But, I sure did like a good head scratch from that one hand with the fingernails.

That gypsy guitarist and I met at a Peruvian restaurant where I served tables and he played guitar. This place, Selva Grill, served some of the best ceviche I have ever had. Ceviche is a dish, popular in Central and South America, that essentially "cooks" raw fish in a citrus marinade.

My little Latin(ish) lover was inspired to make his own ceviche for his Chilean princess (that's me!). His hands, effeminately soft and unworked, would meticulously squeeze each lime by hand, a testament of his unrequited love. That ceviche turned into his signature dish and probably the only good thing that came out of that odd and mismatched relationship. I bulldozed the kid; ripped his tender heart out, cut it into little pieces and threw it in a blender for good measure.

But, you know what? I have never, ever stopped loving ceviche.

Fast forward to last weekend when the Mister and I, who knows not a thing about flamenco music, invited some friends over for a Latin feast. Naturally, ceviche was on the menu. We minced, chopped and shimmied our way through the afternoon blasting Celia Cruz and Tito Puentes while we prepared our menu for the evening.

On a side note, the Mister met the flamenco guitarist once. I was actually still dating him when we ran into each other one night, not knowing that we would one day marry each other. I remember the Mister being visibly annoyed. He couldn't understand how Mighty Mouse could pull a chick like me. I tried to explain the power of the guitar and long fingernails. To this day, he still makes fun of me.

It all worked out in the end. I traded in the talent of a flamenco phenom for a Mister that only listens to hip hop music circa 1988-1992, but has an embrace that makes me feel small and owns t-shirts that I can wear as a nightgown. A fairy tale ending, in my opinion.

Ceviche de Pescado
slightly adapted from Laylita's Recipes
Ceviche can be made with all types of seafood- shrimp, oysters, lobster, scallops and all types of fish. Ceviche de pescado is a traditional preparation with whitefish and straight citrus. Feel free to play with a variety of citrus. I find that the use of oranges helps to balance the acidity of the tart limes. Ceviche is a feast for the sense so don't skimp on the peppers and herbs. The more, the merrier. Also, don't forget to drink the juice. It's one of the best parts of having ceviche!

Ingredients
20 limes, divided
Juice of 2 oranges
2 lbs of white fish (I used tilapia but you could use any whitefish- corvina, grouper, sea bass), cut into 1-inch pieces
3 jalapeño peppers, sliced
4 large garlic cloves, crushed
1 bunch of cilantro, coarsely chopped
4 Roma tomatoes, seeded and cut into small dice
2 bell peppers, 1 orange and 1 yellow, cut into small dice
4-5 large shallots, sliced paper thin
2-3 tablespoons of a mild tasting olive oil
Salt to taste

Directions
Take 10 of the 20 limes and roll each one on your countertop, pressing down gently to release the juices inside. After you do this, juice the 10 limes and then add to a bowl along with the orange juice. In a large, non-reactive bowl combine the raw fish with a pinch of salt, jalapeño peppers, garlic and a tablespoon of the chopped cilantro. Cover with the lime juice, making sure to submerge all the fish in the citrus. This is how it "cooks". Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. The fish will turn opaque in color once it is completely "cooked." Ceviche can become too cooked if you let it go too long. Four to six hours is a good time frame.

While the fish cooks, prep the tomatoes, peppers and shallots. Soak the sliced shallots in a bowl of water for 10 minutes to eliminate any unpleasant pungency. When the ceviche is ready, remove it from the refrigerator, drain the cooking juice and remove the peppers and herbs. Rinse the cooked fish in water and place back into the bowl. Add the tomatoes, bell peppers, shallots and cilantro and toss well. Pour the juice from the remaining 10 limes into the bowl and drizzle in the oil. Salt, to taste and refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to come together.

We served our ceviche with (green) plantains sliced thin and fried in coconut oil.