Conference turris::cooks

397.0. "Ceviche" by TAV02::JUAN () Wed Oct 29 1986 02:34

    Seviche is a latin American food, based on fish, that is typical
    in all countries lying on the Pacific Ocean: You can have it from
    Mexico to Chile.
    
    It is considered the national dish of Ecuador and, of course, each
    different country has its slight variation - going from the size
    of fish cubes, the inclusion -or not- of tomato, etc.
    
    Components:
    
    1/2 pound fresh halibut or whitefish (best Seviche is from Corvina
              a deep sea fish local to Panama, Ecuador and Peru)
    1/2 cup   lemon juice (I rather prefer lime juice - it is closer
              to what I had in Ecuador)
    1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
    1/4 tsp   Tabasco (CAREFULLY)
    1 1/2 tsp salt
    1/2 tsp   coarse (just ground) black pepper
    1/2 cup   tomato juice
    3         fresh scallions, chopped.
    1         tomato, medium size, peeled, seeded and diced.
    letuce.
    unsalted dry crackers
    
    Preparation
    
    1. Cut fish into .5 cm (1/4") cubes. Put in bowl with lemon juice,
       Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, salt and pepper. Put in refrigerator
       to marinate overnight (4-5 hrs minimum).
    
    2. About 1 Hr before serving add tomato juice, scallions and tomato.
       Serve in sherbet or broad champagne glasses on bed of letuce,
       with a few crackers on the platter.
    
    The above should serve 4-6 persons.
    
    I saw Seviche also madde of shrimps, chicken, etc. I don't know
    if the preparation is similar to the above. An interesting thing
    I saw in Peru was the following "cocktail": half a glass of the
    juice of Seviche (lemon juice + fish juices + sauces, i.e.: what
    remains in the bowl after making Seviche) plus about 1/4 glass Pisco.
    The above cocktail is supposed to be had the day after New Year
    Eve (Reveillon) and should cancell all hangover simptoms from the
    previous night. It is called: "sangre de tigre", the tiger's blood.
    I believe that after the above cocktail you must feel like a tiger!!
    
    Enjoy.
    
    Juan Carlos.
    

    Speaking of interesting variations of seviche (besides the multitude
    of spellings, ceviche, cebiche ...), in Ecuador they serve it with
    a bowl of popcorn, that's right, popcorn!  Half the bowl is popped
    conventionally, and the other half is cooked, but unpopped (someone
    described it to me as "popped inside out"!)
    
    Leslie

    A good finger food that can be made many days ahead and just be
    left in the refrigerator is ceviche.  
    
    	shrimp and/or scallops 
    	a large onion or 2 or 3 depending on how large a quantity
    	a combination of lemon and lime juice
    	a japlepino pepper cut up
    	salt and pepper
    
    Place the seafood in a jar along with the onion, pepper and
    salt and pepper.  Then cover with the lemon/lime juices.
    Fresh juices are best, but if you use concentrated, dilute them
    a little.  Make sure the juice really covers the fish and onion.
    
    
    Then refrigerate at least overnight.  Serve on crakers or just
    on trays with toothpicks.  It doesn't need any suce to dip and
    because it "pickles" it doesn't need to be cooked.