In this video, I’m teaching you to make ceviche. For those hot summer days when you don’t feel like turning on the oven — heck, you don’t even want to have to spend time in the kitchen. This recipe is so easy — you’ll be amazed!
I know if you try it, you’re going to become hooked on ceviche, just like I am. It’s a great way to get more seafood into your family.
Surf & Turf Online Cooking Class
This video is part of my Surf & Turf online cooking class. If you haven’t signed up yet, click here to go check it out! This is a 13-week online cooking class teaching you how to cook delicious, nutrient dense wild seafood and healthy grass-fed meats. Totally gluten-free, grain-free, GAPS and paleo-friendly, and low-carb. Hurry — enrollment closes next Saturday, August 14th.
Health Benefits of Ceviche
We all know we should be eating more seafood. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, eating fish just 1 or 2 times a week will decrease your chance of heart disease (America’s number one killer) by a whopping 36%! And yet, so many of us are afraid to cook fish, or we don’t know where to buy it or prepare it.
Ceviche is so easy to make — you can use most any kind of fish — cod, sole, halibut, even salmon. These can all be found flash frozen at hte supermarket (just be sure to look for wild-caught). You can also incorporate shellfish which is more nutrient dense than fin fish — try adding shrimp, scallops, or even mussels or clams.
If you are on a fertility diet like I am, or if you’re pregnant or are nursing, you will want to make ceviche often. There is nothing healthier for your baby than seafood, and particularly shellfish. Studies have shown that pregnant women who eat a lot of seafood have smarter babies than moms who don’t.
Ceviche is also chock full of enzymes. It’s basically raw fish that has been marinated in citrus juice (lemon or lime). It is so delicious — and so good for you! Because ceviche is not cooked (the citrus juice lightly cooks it), it’s full of enzymes, which are the key to good health and longevity.
This recipe is paleo and low-carb, and GAPS and SCD legal. I hope you enjoy it!
The printed recipe follows.
Ceviche
Ingredients
Scallops, large, skinless fish fillets (I used cod), or a combination, wild-caught — or you can use all fin fish if you don’t eat shellfish (1 pound)
Lime, organic (4)
Lemons, organic (4)
Red bell pepper, small (1)
Jalapeno chile pepper, small (1)
Cherry tomatoes (1 cup)
Honey (1 tsp) — where to buy honey
Avocado (1)
Olive oil (1/4 cup) — where to buy oils
Black pepper, freshly ground
Optional: Cilantro, chopped, scallions or onions, garlic, sea salt — where to buy sea salt
Equipment
Rasp or fine cheese grater
Lemon reamer or fork
Rubber gloves
Directions
1. Cut up the fish into bite-sized pieces.
2. Rinse the limes and lemons. Using a rasp or fine cheese grater, remove the zest from one lime and place in a medium bowl.
3. Using a fork or reamer, squeeze the juice from the 4 limes and lemons into a bowl.
4. Remove the seeds from both the bell pepper and jalapeno pepper. Finely chop
and add to the bowl. You should use gloves when chopping the jalapeno pepper so you don’t burn your hands. (If you do burn yourself, alcohol-based hand sanitizer is the best thing I’ve found to stop the pain.)
5. Gently stir in the seafood, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until the seafood is firm, opaque, and appears cooked, 45-60 minutes.
6. After the seafood is done marinating, strain through a fine mesh strainer, and return to the bowl. Gently stir in the olive oil.
7. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and add to bowl.
8. Peel and remove the pit from the avocado. Dice and gently stir into the bowl.
9. Add 1/4 cup olive oil.
10. Add the honey.
11. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
This post is a part of Fight Back Fridays on Food Renegade.
Photo credit: laura padgett on flickr
Disclosure: cmp.ly/4 and cmp.ly/5
{ 31 comments… read them below or add one }
Yum!! I’m going to try this for sure.
Nice! Ceviche is good drowned in tomato juice as well for a Mexican-style “coctel.” When I’m in Mexico I’m obsessed with those things.
.-= Matt Stone´s last blog ..RRARF Addendum =-.
I almost tried ceviche last night at a restaurant. It was a tough decision but raw oysters won out. I look forward to trying this with some fresh scallops.
.-= Kat´s last blog ..Winner of the Surf & Turf E-Course & Discount Coupon =-.
Very cool!! I am now inspired to try ceviche, thanks to you and to a recent episode of ‘Diners, Drivein’s and Dives’ where Guy went to a place that served over 20 kinds of ceviche fresh every day!! It looked amazing!! I bet you could have all kinds of fun with this dish!!!
.-= lydia´s last blog ..Breaking the Vicious Cycle…… =-.
Thanks for the inspiration. It has been so hot this summer that we have worked hard to turn the stove on as little as possible. This will be the perfect no cook supper.
.-= City Share´s last blog ..Boston- Part II =-.
Lydia – I would like to know where that place is. Do you remember the name?
I have another recipe I’ll be including in the Surf & Turf class materials — it is a Tahitian ceviche made with coconut milk and lime. I’m having leftovers for lunch today! YUM!
I want some right now! I love ceviche and will definitely be trying this. I’m praying my kids will love it….
If making a raw fish dish like this, do you need to be careful with how fresh the fish is? We only have fresh supermarket fish available here, that may be a few days old, would that be safe to use in a dish like this?
Kylie – Yes, I would get very fresh fish. The fresh fish I buy comes from fisherman at the farmer’s market who have just gotten it out of the ocean — that’s fresh!
You’ll find though, that most fish you find in the store is frozen, or it was previously frozen. Most of the fish that you buy is flash frozen right after they catch it. It’s fine to make this with frozen fish — in fact, it is better to make it with frozen fish because if fish is frozen for 7-10 days, it kills the parasites.
So if you can, look for frozen, wild-caught or sustainably farmed fish. If it’s defrosted in the store, ask them when they defrosted it.
Martha – If they don’t like it at first, give it some time. It takes 7-10 times of exposure to like a new food.
Loved this video… so informative. Ceviche is one of those recipes that I would find kind of intimidating but after seeing you make it I am definitely going to give it a try.
Just found your blog today and look forward to reading more:)
Hi, Dani!
It’s so easy! I hope you enjoy it!
Ann Marie -
This is a great article that will hopefully make people less afraid of ceviche’. You’re right about the health benefits of seafood.
There’s always a debate as to whether ceviche is cooked or not. To me, the definition of “cooked” is when proteins coagulate, stiffen, and shrink. This is usually done with heat, but the acids in citrus juices accomplish the same thing.
The best juices for ceviche are from tropical fruits like mango and papaya. They have a special enzyme that also breaks down connective tissue in meats, making it a great marinade as well.
Word of caution, though. Whether cooking seafood or not, ALWAYS make sure you get the freshest, safest fish that was handled in the safest manner. This is especially important when working with food that will be given to an infant.
BTW, will you be attending the Affiliate Summit in NYC next week? I’d love to meet you and express my appreciation of your website. Email me please.
Chef Todd Mohr
.-= Chef Todd Mohr´s last blog ..Cooking Brown Rice Methods – Which Do You Choose =-.
As a fellow Texan, I can attest it is too hot in the kitchen right now!!
We’re to meet friends this evening before attending a summer play in town and I’
ll take this as my appitizer since I’ve got fresh frozen fish.
Thanks for the video.
It is inspiring in this Texas heat.
Ann Marie, you look beautiful, and Kate is darling!
I love ceviche, and just made some the other day with flounder (which is ok but not my favorite). Orange Roughy is delicious, but I’m afraid it may be endangered. I want to try tilapia, which is firm, white, mild, and inexpensive — so it should be good for ceviche. Also, it’s sustainably farmed – only – so you won’t find “wild-caught” tilapia! Catfish and salmon are a little too strongly flavored for my taste.
I want to second your advice about fresh: “still-flopping” would be nice, with sushi grade next-best, and flash-frozen never thawed the freshest that’s readily available. If your seafood has the slightest odor, it’s unsuitable for ceviche!
Moving on, I would like to suggest a technique for zesting your lime that I saw Alton Brown use: place your Microplane teeth up on a plastic sheet flat on the counter, and draw the fruit across, turning as you go. That keeps the zester stable and less likely to slip and cut your fingers.
Red and yellow Bell peppers are colorful and sweeter, but I also like some of the bitterness in the green. Just a matter of taste.
Jacques Pepin advises always tasting a bit of your jalapeno pepper — the heat can vary considerably from one to the next, so you might want to add more or less. (Serrano peppers are a hotter – and I think tastier – alternative to jalapenos.)
When it comes to seeding, I’ve found several handy ways to avoid having to use gloves: just as you did, I cut off the stem end and cut lengthwise; then I use one of the following to easily remove the seeds and membranes: a serrated grapefruit spoon; a strawberry stem remover; an apple corer (just slide, twisting, up from the tip to cut membranes and remove seeds). Then I julianne the halves lengthwise, chop crossways, and scoop the pieces onto the knife blade to transport to the bowl. I never touch the inner part of the pepper.
One more tip: after cutting around, the avocado halves separate cleaner and more easily if you twist them apart, rather than just pulling. Put the half with the seed on your chopping board seed-up and forcefully chop down with your knife to embed the edge in the seed. Twist the knife and the seed will pop right out, attached to the blade. Use a paper towel to grasp and remove the seed from the knife. Then I’ve found that if I slice the halves lengthwise, I can usually pull and peel the skin away from the fruit in one piece. Which leaves you with four perfect quarters of avocado to dice and add to the other ingredients. Note: the avocado will become mushy if you add it more than an hour before serving.
Now I think I’ll go make us some ceviche! Thanks for the inspiration!
I need some inspiration. When served as an appetizer, what would you put with ceviche?
.-= Peggy´s last blog ..How I Plan Menus Gold Method- Digitize it! =-.
Hi Ann Marie,
Really, really nice video. I like seeing your face when you are speaking, and also close ups of your hands as you work – a good balance between them makes it interesting…. and it’s also refreshing to actually see your face, and of course your sweet little daughter, rather than just disembodied hands and voices
) The recipe looks great!!! You mentioned adding onion or garlic and someone else mentioned fruit or tomato juices – if you wanted to add something like these, when would you do so? Thanks so much!
Anne Marie
I made this tonight. It turned out great! I used Trader Joe’s frozen Alaskan wild cod fish, organic lemons and limes and fresh cherry tomatoes and a big yellow pepper from my garden. I must admit, I was quite skeptical…but it turned out great. My whole family liked it, including my husband and DD age 14 and 11. I plan on eating the left overs for lunch tomorrow.
Also, your daughter is precious,…someday she’ll try the cerviche.
Ann
i had never even heard of ceviche before i saw this post if you can believe it! but i made it this afternoon for me and my husband with frozen scallops from trader joe’s. i used a yellow bell pepper b/c that’s what i had- it was good! next time i think i’ll add some cilantro, garlic and scallions to amp up the flavor.
Denise, yes, all those things are great — I forgot the garlic and I didn’t have any cilantro on hand.
Keep in mind that farmed fish are usually fed corn and soy….and not organic corn and soy. that’s one of the reasons we don’t even eat tilapia anymore, you just can’t trust that it is good for you. The Monterey Bay Aquarium in CA offers a guide to choosing fish at http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/seafoodwatch.aspx
Due to the horrible pollution and terrible diets of farmed fish, we opt for no farmed fish at all.
On the bright side – ceviche and the hawaiin cousin Poki are very delicious made with many times of sustainably fished seafoods and fish. I make Poki with lemon-soaked fish or shellfish, cucumbers, seaweed, soy sauce (the good kind), and hot chili sesame oil. Toss in a little wasabi and mayonnaise to taste and you will have everyone scraping their bowl for more! Tonight we are trying the Poki with some organic soba noodles…..
I had no idea that ceviche would be so easy! Will definitely add the cilantro – can’t get enough of it. I’m always looking for new fish dishes so thanks for this!
Tiffani B – thanks for the fish info/link – appreciate it.
You convinced me to try this at home!
So today I bought some wild caught fresh (not thawed) cod that WF got this morning and I also got some wild caught scallops. When I was chopping, I found two parasite worms…I think from the cod. I called WF and talked to a fishmonger who said it’s pretty common in wild caught cod and won’t be an issue as long as I cut the fish thin so the citrus can “cook” it well.
I wasn’t upset, per se, we always find little buggers in our garden veggies, BUT as it’s my first time to make ceviche I was a little nervous and put off. Should I have gotten the frozen fish instead??
Also, (and you may not be able to answer in the next hour, but here goes…) I’m not sure when to add garlic, onion, and cilantro. I added the onion for the marinating part and may throw the garlic in as well, but I think the cilantro would be best near the end, no?
Thanks,
Whitney
@ Whitney
OK, um, YUCK!!!!!!!!!!!
That’s gross. I don’t know if I could eat it after I found worms.
If you can, more power to you.
I do think it’s a good idea to get the fish frozen. Most sushi & sashimi is frozen. I have read that if the fish is frozen for several days, the worms will die.
You can add the cilantro and onion etc. in the beginning. The only thing you don’t want to add is things like tomato and avocado b/c they can get mushy.
AM, what’s your take on eating Ceviche when pregnant? It’s hard to seperate the government propaganda from good advice. I already do so much I’m “not supposed too” while pregnant- like drink raw milk, eat tons of liver, and eat raw cheese. I sure miss my sushi! I used to make sushi……but I wasn’t sure about doing that when preggers.
Love your video! Good job! We have eaten a totally different ceviche from Ecuador that is shrimp in a tangy tomato sauce. More like thishttp://laylita.com/recipes/2006/07/15/ceviche-camaron-shrimp-ceviche/
So it is interesting to see your take on the recipe. Avocado would make it yummy!
Thank you! We enjoyed this tonight with shrimp. At least, I enjoyed it. Hubby thought it was ok. 2 of the 4 kids like the shrimp itself and nothing else. I’ll enjoy polishing off the veggies.
Love love love cerviche! Great video.
ceviche- I’m a bad speller!
I have never made ceviche before but I love to order it. Seems easy enough to make though!
We made this ceviche yesterday for Mother’s Day. I was wonderful! What a treat. This one will become a regular dish for sure!
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