Ceviche Clásico
Fresh fish "cooked" in citrus with tomato, onion, and cilantro - refreshing and bright
- 1 lbfirm white fish(snapper, sea bass, or halibut, sushi-grade)
- 1 cupfresh lime juice(about 8 limes)
- 0.25 cupfresh orange juice
- 1Roma tomato(seeded, diced)
- 0.5 cupred onion(thinly sliced)
- 1jalapeño(seeded, minced)
- 0.25 cupfresh cilantro(chopped)
- 1 tspkosher salt
- tostadas or tortilla chips(for serving)
- 1avocado(sliced, for serving)
Fish can be cut and refrigerated up to 4 hours before curing. Once cured, serve within 2 hours - fish will become mushy if over-cured.
- 1Cut fish into 1/2-inch cubes, removing any bloodline or skin
- 2Place fish in glass or ceramic bowl - avoid metal
- 3Cover with lime and orange juice - fish should be submerged
- 4Cover and refrigerate 25-45 minutes until fish is opaque throughout
- 5Drain fish, reserving some citrus juice
- 6Add tomato, onion, jalapeño, cilantro, and salt
- 7Toss gently and add back citrus juice to your liking
- 8Serve immediately on tostadas with sliced avocado
Use only sushi-grade fish - the citrus doesn't "cook" fish the same way heat does and won't kill all pathogens. The fish is ready when opaque throughout but still tender. Over-curing makes it tough and rubbery. Soak onion in cold water for 10 minutes to mellow its bite.
Ceviche is one of the most ancient preparations of the Americas, with roots in the fishing communities along the Pacific coast of South America that predate Spanish colonization. Archaeological evidence from Peru indicates that Pacific coast cultures were marinating raw fish with fermented juice from tumbo fruit (a Passionfruit relative) as many as two thousand years ago, according to research cited by the Peruvian food historian Mariano Valderrama. The Spanish brought Seville oranges and limes to the Americas in the 16th century, and citrus gradually replaced the tumbo in the preparation, creating the ceviche that is now standard. Peru and Ecuador are the primary custodians of the tradition, with Peru formally recognizing ceviche as a national cultural heritage in 2004. Mexican ceviche developed its own distinct regional character: while Peruvian ceviche is typically leche de tigre — a pure, intense citrus-and-fish liquid with minimal additions — the Mexican version commonly incorporates tomato, jalapeño, cucumber, and red onion, and is traditionally served over tostadas. Regional variations along Mexico's Pacific coast (Sinaloa, Nayarit, Jalisco) each have their own specific preparations. The fundamental technique — using acid rather than heat to denature the fish's proteins — is the defining characteristic that all versions share.