Recipe: Corvina White Fish Ceviche (Ceviche de Corvina, Colombian)

CORVINA WHITE FISH CEVICHE
(CEVICHE DE CORVINA)

"Ceviche is such a popular food in the coastal areas of Colombia that we can even buy it at the beach. It is served as in this recipe, or with ketchup: all you would need to do is add a quarter cup of ketchup in step 2 of this recipe.

I like to leave the fish overnight in the first lime juice to make sure it is fully cooked; in many places, it is just left to marinate for just a few hours. I have added the tomato juice, not traditional in our Caribbean coast recipe, but it was an idea I adopted many years ago from a Mexican friend when I lived in Cali."

1 pound corvina fish, cut into 1/2-inch cubes* (or any firm-fleshed white fish)
2 3/4 cups lime juice, divided use
1 1/2 cups diced red onion
1 1/2 cups peeled, seeded, and diced tomatoes
1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon tomato juice
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons pepper
Tabasco to taste**
1/2 cup olive oil (optional)***
Salted crackers or mini-tartlet shells, for serving

DAY 1: In a nonreactive container mix the fish with 2 cups of the lime juice. Refrigerate overnight.

DAY 2: Drain the lime juice from the fish, discard the juice and add the remaining 3/4 cup of lime juice, onion, tomato, cilantro, parsley, Worcestershire, tomato juice, salt, and pepper to the bowl. Let marinate at least 30 minutes, or up to 8 hours for the best taste. (Flavors mature and soften after sitting together for so long.)

Serve with salted crackers or in mini-tartlet shells.

*If you cannot find corvina, any firm-fleshed white fish will do.

**If desired, which a lot of people now seem to like, spike the heat up with some Tabasco sauce.

***The olive oil is optional; if you leave it out the flavor will be crispier and more citrusy; if you add it, a mellower ceviche is the outcome. Both options are very good; just a matter of what works best for your taste.

Makes 8 servings
Source: Secrets of Colombian Cooking by Patricia McCausland-Gallo