Big Bend Florida Sportsman Guide

Ceviche Recipes

Ceviche

Author Jack Hexter 

Here's the best ceviche recipe I've ever had. I had to promise my first born to get it out of the friend who prepared it. 

1 1/2 lb fish cut in 3/4" pieces ( I like Mutton Snapper)

Key Lime juice to cover

Let stand in GLASS BOWL for 30 minutes and pour off, rinse, rinse, drain, rinse, rinse and rinse some more, and drain. 

                              1 large onion, chopped fine

                              4 cerano chili's or jalipenos

                              1/2 cup parseley chopped fine

                              3 large tomatoes, chopped

                              1 1/2 cup green oloives w/ pimento, chopped

                              1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

                              Liquid

                              1/4 Cup catsup

                              3/4 - 1.5 cup olive oil

                              4 oz juice from jalapino (I use vinegar from

                              chili's)

                              1/4 Cup Worstershire

                              1 Tablespoon Oregano

                              Salt to taste 

After cooking the fish in the key lime juice for 30 minutres and after THOROUGHLY RINSING the fish numerous times, gently mix the remaining dry ingredients and fold into the fish. Mix the liquid ingredients and pour over the fish mixture and gently fold in. Let it sit, refrigerated, for a day. The longer it sits' the better it is, but it usually dosen't last long enough to get real good. 

Addition by Capt Ken 

If you use Octopus, put the chunks in a fryer basket and dunk it in scalding water for about 10 seconds--not much longer. Octopus will be nice and tender. 

Don't cheat. Use honest to goodness Key Limes. Sour Orange is a decent substitute that adds a whole different taste. Regular Limes just don't cut it. You'll need more Juice and have to allow longer soak time to get proper "cooking" if you use regular limes. I use the juice from at least a dozen limes for a pound and a half of fish.  

If you don't have Cilantro in your herb garden, you ought to. The fresher the better. I lay the Cilantro on a cutting board then mash it hard with a rolling pin. I do the same thing with fresh Dill. Talk about smelling good---Mmmmmm. 

I've used Jack's recipe twice--maybe three times. The stuffed olives add to it but I only chopped a few of mine and left the others whole.

Quick Ceviche

Author Capt Ken

 Sharon just picked up a new Lime/Garlic Salsa made by Taco Bell. Add a little fresh Cilantro and you have a great Ceviche sauce. I tried this stuff on boiled chicken last night and it is mighty good. I haven't made Ceviche with it yet but this stuff will work, guaranteed.

One bearly legal Grouper, still kicking. Fillet, wash fillets in clean (offshore) seawater. Cut fillets into 3/4" chunks and cover with freshly squeezed Key Lime juice and a little offshore seawater. (70% Lime juice/30% seawater) Allow to "cook" for 1 hour then rinse in fresh seawater.

I always use a plastic bowl with tight sealing lid so I can invert and shake the Ceviche several times during the "cooking" process. Don't use metal containers.

Addition by Capt Ken

Ceviche is a low Carbohydrate, high Protein, great tasting snack food.
A super fast way to make some very decent Ceviche is to "cook" your fish for about 30 minutes in fresh lemon/lime juice (50:50 or there abouts) I usually cut my chunks about 3/4" x3/4". Thoroughly mix a pound of "cooked," rinsed fish with a large jar of medium Picante Sauce and dip it with crackers.

Believe me, 2 guys will eat the whole batch PDQ.

You will need about a cup of lemon/lime juice to cook a pound or so of fish. I have a large screw top jar to do the "cooking" in. I rotate the jar several times during the cooking process to assure all of the fish gets cooked.

I usually rinse the fish in clean (offshore) salt water to remove most of the lemon/lime juice mixture. Somehow this makes the Ceviche taste better than that you make at home.

I know this is legal because I cooked some for a couple of FMP guys on a trip last fall. They gave it a

Addition by Miker2

in one of the bars on ambergris cay,belize--the barman was always mixing up a free batch oh cerviche. he didn't have or at least didn't use picante though. his recipe cooked the fish in lime like you do but he used finely diced lettuce and onions and then doused it with habanero sauce. that habanero juice turned his free cerviche into multiple cold beer sales in a hopeless effort to put out the fire.