Oh Ceviche, let me declare my affections for you. Sweet fresh flesh of the sea marinated in heavy citrus and sass, I could eat you at least five days a week! Having at least 2,000 years of culinary archeological history under it’s belt and having a request from my dear Claire, I thought it was time to pay homage to this delightful dish celebrating the gifts of the sea. Moorish women from Granada accompanied the Spanish Conquistadors and colonizers throughout South America where it found its home most notably in Peru and then returned it’s delights to Europe. Food, culture, cuisine, politics, history have all traveled, been adopted, been changed, been accepted and have made foodie culture what it is. If you love food you have to love where it came from, know it’s roots, know many immigrants and colonizers to understand it’s ingredients and how to prepare it. I find it particularly important to stress upon today’s tensions of food, people, and politics that we are wanderers, we eat, we travel, we share and in this way we survive across the globe, as we did thousands of years ago and presently.

I prefer to use either the freshest fish possible that day’s catch or par frozen to get a nice cut, either way if your fish or seafood has been on ice for over a day, pick another recipe. You need firm flesh in its prime! Ingredients can be as varied as the catch and there are two basic ways to make, one I liken to a quick Salsa Fresca style ceviche made and eaten within a few hours or fully cooked ceviche where just the protein spends at least 24 hours in citrus, is drained and then re-dressed in a new citrusy dressing, this preparation has a little longer staying power. Pick your preparation carefully depending on how you intend to use it. This recipe will focus on the more classic fully cooked preparation and a smoked salmon variation, but I seriously love both. Other sea proteins I love are ceviche octopus, raw prawns, scallops, snapper, rockfish to name a few.
From my table to yours enjoy!
~Amber

Recipe

  • 10-ounce fresh Alaskan salmon, skin and all bones removed
  • 3/4 cup fresh lime juice
  • 2 T honey
  • 2 1/2 tsp soy sauce
  • 1 1/2 tsp lightly toasted sesame seeds
  • salt, to taste
  • 1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger
  • 2 tsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tsp minced shallot
  • 1//8 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 cucumber, peeled and cut into 1/8” thick slices
  • 1 bunch radishes, trimmed, cut into 1/8” thick slices
  • 1 head butter lettuce, rinsed and torn into 2” pieces
  • 1/2 cup chopped green onions

Smoked Salmon Ceviche

  • 6-oz Wild Alaskan Smoked Salmon (bones/skin removed)
  • ½ red onion, diced small
  • 1 jalapeno or 1-2 Serrano peppers (minced)
  • 2 small tomatoes, diced
  • Juice of 12 limes, or more as needed
  • ½ bunch cilantro, chopped
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • Avocado slices, lime wedges, and tortilla chips, for serving

Preparation:
Cut the salmon into half inch pieces and dice the onion, peppers, tomatoes and cilantro, combining all into a large non-reactive (glass or ceramic) bowl. Squeeze the limes over the ceviche and stir well before refrigerating, covered for an hour.
Stir again and return to the refrigerator for another 3-4 hours, season to taste with salt and black pepper and serve with lime wedges, organic avocado slices, and organic tortilla chips