Mexican Fish Ceviche

Ceviche is a popular seafood dish in Central and South America made from raw seafood (usually fish or shrimp) marinated in citrus juices. Today, it is most associated with Peru, who even has a holiday to celebrate the dish (June 28, if you’re interested). Spaniards arriving in the Americas found that the pre-Inca peoples of Mocha had a similar dish, which used the fermented juices of the banana passionfruit. There is archeological evidence of ceviche’s consumption as far back as 2,000 years ago.

Unlike Peruvian ceviche, the Mexican variation often includes tomatoes, jalapeños, and green olives. That’s the variation we’re going to make today.

When choosing a fish, it’s best to use a white ocean fish like sea bass, grouper, halibut, or flounder. Keep the fish as cold as possible while preparing it, and be sure to remove the blood line (the dark line down the center of some fish) to keep the dish from tasting too “fishy”. I also prefer to combine the ingredients near the end; red onions steeped in lime juice will color the dish prematurely.

Mexican Fish Ceviche - Paleo, Primal, Gluten-free

Servings: 4
Time: 1 hour
Difficulty: Easy
Print

1 lb flounder, sea bass, grouper, or halibut, cut into bite-sized chunks
1/2 tsp kosher salt, more to taste
~1 cup lime juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 medium red onion, chopped
1 jalapeño, diced (more to taste if you like spicy)
1 tomato, seeded and chopped
1 handful cilantro, chopped
8 green olives, pitted and chopped

1. In a non-reactive bowl, combine the fish and salt and allow to set for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and enough lime juice to just cover the fish (about 1 cup). Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until opaque, about 40 minutes.

2. As the fish “cooks”, prepare the other ingredients. Soak the onion in cold water for 20 minutes to remove its astringency, then drain.

3. After the fish is ready, drain all but a bit of the lime juice, then combine with the remaining ingredients. Taste and add salt if needed. Let sit for five minutes before serving.

Serve with a crunchy texture, like the Jackson’s Honest sweet potato chips I used in this recipe, or plantain chips. Or corn chips, if you’re good with corn.