Ricks Ceviche 101 Recipes

RICK'S CEVICHE 101

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine fish, lime juice, and onion. Be sure the fish is covered with lime juice; add more if necessary. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until fish no longer looks raw when broken open, about 4 hours. Drain in a colander.
• In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, jalapenos, cilantro, olives, and oil. Add the fish and orange juice; stir to combine. Season with salt. Cover, and refrigerate if not serving immediately.
• Just before serving, add avocado, and stir gently, being careful not to break up pieces. Garnish with cilantro leaves, and serve with tortilla chips.

GREEN CEVICHE WITH CUCUMBER

Steps:

• Place a dry nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Roast unpeeled garlic cloves and chilies, turning frequently, until soft, about 10 minutes for the chilies and 15 minutes for the garlic. Cool, then remove skins from garlic and stems from chilies.
• In a food processor, combine chilies, garlic, cilantro, parsley, olive oil and salt. Process until nearly smooth. Cover the herb paste and refrigerate until needed.
• To finish ceviche: In a large bowl, whisk together the lime juice and 1/2 cup of herb paste. Add fish and cucumber, and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes (or up to an hour). Transfer remaining herb paste to a jar, cover with a film of oil, refrigerate and save for another use, like stirring into eggs or smearing on chicken before roasting or grilling.
• Taste and season with additional lime juice or salt as desired. Gently fold in most of the avocado, reserving a few cubes as a garnish. Line plates or cocktail glasses with lettuce leaves, and top with ceviche and remaining avocado.

SHRIMP CEVICHE "COCKTAIL"

Steps:

• Cooking and marinating the shrimp: Bring 1 quart salted water to a boil and add 2 tablespoons of the lime juice. Add shrimp, cover and return to a boil. Immediately remove from heat, set pot lid askew and pour off all liquid. Replace lid and set aside, letting shrimp steam in closed pot for 10 minutes. Spread out shrimp in large glass or stainless steel bowl to cool completely. Peel shrimp (and devein, if desired). Toss shrimp with remaining 1/2 cup lime juice, cover and refrigerate for about 1 hour.
• The flavorings: In a small strainer, rinse chopped onion under cold water, then shake off excess liquid. Add to shrimp bowl along with chopped cilantro, ketchup, hot sauce, optional olive oil, cucumber and/or jicama and avocado. Mix gently, taste and season with salt, usually about 1/2 teaspoon. Cover and refrigerate up to a few hours, or serve immediately.
• Serving the ceviche: Spoon the ceviche into sundae glasses, martini glasses or small bowls. Garnish with sprigs of cilantro and slices of lime. Serve with tostadas, tortilla chips or saltines.

CLASSIC CEVICHE

Steps:

• In a 1 1/2-quart glass or stainless steel bowl, combine the fish, lime juice and onion. Use enough juice to cover the fish and allow it to float freely; too little juice means unevenly "cooked" fish. Cover and refrigerate for about 4 hours, until a cube of fish no longer looks raw when broken open. Drain in a colander.
• In a large bowl, mix together the tomatoes, green chiles, cilantro, olives and optional olive oil. Stir in the fish and season with salt, usually about 1/2 teaspoon. Add the orange juice or sugar. Cover and refrigerate if not serving immediately. Just before serving, gently stir in the diced avocado.
• MAKE AHEAD Working ahead: The fish may be marinated a day in advance; after about 4 hours, when the fish is "cooked," drain it so that it will not become too tangy. For the freshest flavor, add the flavorings to the fish no more than a couple of hours before serving.

JUICY AND SPICY CEVICHE

Steps:

• Stir the seafood mix and lime juice together in a large, non-metallic bowl; let stand 10 minutes. Fold in the diced tomatoes and onion; cover, and refrigerate 30 minutes. Whisk together the Worcestershire sauce, hot pepper sauce, tomato paste, cayenne pepper, cumin, chili powder, and salt in a small bowl. Cover, and refrigerate 30 minutes.
• After 30 minutes, gently stir half of the tomato paste mixture into the seafood mixture. Cover the remaining tomato paste mixture and the seafood mixture. Return both to the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
• After another 30 minutes, gently stir the remaining tomato paste mixture into the ceviche, cover, and refrigerate another 30 minutes.
• Gently stir the cilantro and diced avocado into the ceviche before serving.