When I visit my family in Ecuador I make sure I indulge in traditional Ecuadorian food, ceviche is one of them; I absolutely love it! Ceviche is typically made with fresh raw fish marinated with lime juice, salt, pepper and oil. Curing the fish for long periods of time with the citric acid causes the fish to become denatured, appearing to be cooked and keeping it’s “raw” taste. Be warned that the citric juice does not kill bacteria or parasitic worms, so it is important to start with the freshest, cleanest fish possible to minimize the risk of food poisoning. Never use frozen fish. The cut of the fish is also important, I’ve noticed that dicing the fish into 1×1 inch chunks is ideal for the fish to absorb the marinate all around.
Other popular types of ceviches in Ecuador include: shrimp (cooked), black clams (cooked or raw), oysters(cooked or raw), octopus (cooked) and crab (cooked) ceviche. In Ecuador, ceviche is usually served with a side of pop corn, thinly sliced and fried green plantains called chifles or toasted corn kernels called maiz tostado. You could find maiz tostado in Latin Markets that carry Andean Products.
Ceviche is very easy to prepare and it can be served as a meal or as an appetizer. When making ceviche make sure you plan ahead because you will need anywhere from 3 to 4 hours for marinating, specially if the meat you chose is raw. One option is to cook the fish or shellfish in boiling water for 20 to 30 seconds to reduce the marinating time. Ceviche does not store well, I suggest you prepare smaller batches to avoid any left overs.
- 1½ cups diced fish (corvina or sea bass)
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- ½ teaspoon of pepper
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1½ cups of lime juice (enough to cover the fish)
- 1 tablespoon of chopped cilantro
- 1 small tomato diced (skin and seeds removed)
- ½ cup of sliced red onion
- ½ teaspoon of minced jalapeño (this is optional - can add more or less)
- ¾ cups of orange juice
- 1 teaspoon of mustard
- 1 tablespoon of Ketchup
- Remove skin and bones from fish
- Rinse under running water and pat dry
- Cut into 1x1 cubes
- Prepare marinate by mixing olive oil, pepper, salt, and lime juice. There should be enough lime juice to cover the fish
- Combine fish with marinate and refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours
- Cut the onion into the thinnest possible slices
- Peel, deseed and dice the tomato
- Mince the jalapeño and chop the cilantro
- In a bowl mix the onion, tomato, jalapeño, and cilantro
- Add the orange juice, mustard.and Ketchup
- Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.
- Combine the marinated fish (including the marinate) with the chopped veggies and orange juice. Mix well and refrigerate until served.
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