Ceviche with Bitter Orange

Dave DeWitt Leave a Comment

This recipe is a second version of the Ecuadorian specialty. The fish can be served as an appetizer or as a main dish for a refreshing summer meal. It is traditionally served with maiz tostada (toasted corn) or popcorn on the side. Note: This recipe requires advance preparation.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds any firm white fish fillets; snapper or catfish recommended

  • 1 cup bitter (Seville) orange juice or substitute 1/2 cup lemon juice mixed with 1/2 cup orange juice

  • 1 cup fresh lime juice

  • 1 onion, thinly sliced

  • 1 cup chopped green bell pepper

  • 1 cup chopped red bell pepper

  • 1 habanero chile, seeds and stem removed, minced, or substitute 3 jalapeños

  • 1/2 cup olive oil

  • 1 clove garlic, minced

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • Garnishes: popcorn, red bell pepper rings, green bell pepper rings

Instructions

Cut the cleaned fillets into thin, diagonal slices and place them in a large ceramic bowl. Pour the citrus juices over the fish, add the onion, chopped bell peppers, habanero, olive oil, garlic, salt, ground black pepper, and mix gently to coat the fish. Cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate for at least 6 hours to “cook” the fish.

Drain the fish and arrange the slices on individual plates, garnishing with the popcorn and the pepper rings.

Ceviche de Camarones

Dave DeWitt Leave a Comment

This recipe comes from our friend, Loretta Salazar, who lived in Ecuador while she attended the university on an exchange program. The popcorn that is served on top of the ceviche is an American approximation probably of the toasted corn, or cancha, that is served over Peruvian ceviches. This ceviche is a quick one, if you use precooked, frozen mini-shrimp. Serve the ceviche on a bed of bibb lettuce, garnished with black olives, sliced hard boiled egg, feta cheese, a slice of cooked corn on the cob, and maybe some crusty bread for a very appetizing luncheon or light dinner.

Note: This recipe requires advance preparation.

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds frozen cooked shrimp

  • 1 medium red onion, sliced very thin

  • 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped fresh ají chiles, or substitute yellow wax hot or jalapeño

  • 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

  • 3 medium tomatoes, finely chopped

  • 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

  • 3/4 cup fresh lemon juice

  • 3/4 cup fresh lime juice

  • 1/2 cup good quality olive oil

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • Lettuce

  • 2 1/2 cups freshly popped popcorn

Instructions

Pour the frozen shrimp into a colander and run cold water over them for a minute or two. Drain the shrimp thoroughly and then place them on paper towels to drain off the excess. Place the shrimp in a non-reactive bowl (such as Pyrex), add the remaining ingredients (except the lettuce and popcorn), mix lightly, and marinate the mixture in the refrigerator for 2 to 4 hours.

To serve: drain the cerviche in a colander and serve on individual plates on beds of shredded lettuce, garnished with the warm popcorn.

 

Peruvian Mixed Seafood Ceviche

Dave DeWitt Recipes Leave a Comment

This particular ceviche is spicy because the addition of a fair amount of crushed ajís or whatever dried chiles you have available. The use of corn and sweet potatoes signal this dish as being very typically Peruvian. Serve it as an entree for lunch or dinner on those hot and sweltering days of summer. Note: This recipe requires advance preparation.

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup fresh lime juice

  • 3/4 cup fresh lemon juice

  • 3 dried ají chiles, seeds and stems removed, crushed in a mortar, or substitute 2 New Mexican chiles (mild) or 6 piquins (hot)

  • 1 clove garlic, minced

  • 1 large red onion, sliced paper thin

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 1/2 pound white fish fillets, such as catfish, cut into 1 inch pieces

  • 1 pound cleaned shellfish (clams, oysters, or mussels or a mix)

  • 1 teaspoon paprika (optional)

  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, Italian preferred

  • 3 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch thick slices

  • 3 ears of fresh corn, cleaned and cut into 2-inch thick slices

  • 4 Bibb lettuce leaves

Instructions

Combine all the ingredients except the potatoes, corn, and lettuce a large ceramic bowl, mix well, cover tightly, and refrigerate for 3 to 5 hours. If the citrus juice doesn’t cover the fish, add more.

Just before serving, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and drop in the sweet potatoes and boil for 10 minutes. Then, add the rounds of corn to the pot and boil for another 10 minutes. Drain the vegetables thoroughly.

Drain the fish in a colander to remove the marinade and arrange the fish on the lettuce on 4 dinner plates. Garnish with the sweet potatoes and the rounds of corn.

Ceviche de Corvina

Dave DeWitt Leave a Comment

I am including several ceviches from Peru because some travelers claim that they are superior to those of Ecuador. The most popular fish used in Peru is sea bass, or grouper, although every type of seafood and shellfish is used as well. The Peruvian ceviches include a few rounds of cooked corn on the cob and cooked slices of sweet potatoes. Note: This recipe requires advance preparation.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds sea bass fillets, cut into 1-inch pieces, or substitute swordfish

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 2 rocoto chiles, seeds and stems removed, thinly sliced into rings, or substitute 1 habanero or 3 jalapeños

  • 1 teaspoon paprika

  • 1 large onion, thinly sliced

  • 1 cup fresh lemon juice

  • 1 cup fresh lime juice

  • 1 clove garlic, minced

  • 1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch thick slices

  • 3 ears fresh corn, cleaned and cut into 2-inch thick slices

  • Bibb lettuce leaves

Instructions

Place the cut and cleaned fish into a large glass or ceramic bowl and sprinkle with the salt and black pepper. Add 1/2 of the chile rings, paprika, onion, lemon juice, lime juice, and the garlic and mix lightly; cover the mixture and refrigerate for 3 to 5 hours until the flesh is opaque.

About 30 minutes before serving the fish, cook the sweet potatoes in a large pot of boiling salted water for 12 minutes; then, add the corn to pot and cook for 10 minutes more, until tender. Drain the vegetables and reserve them, at room temperature, for the garnish.

Drain the fish thoroughly in a colander and arrange the Bibb lettuce leaves on 4 dinner plates. Place the fish on the lettuce leaves and garnish with the reserved chile rings, and surround the fish with the wheels of cooked sweet potatoes and corn.

 

Louisiana Crab Cakes w/ Tomato and Chile Tartar Sauce

Dave DeWitt Recipes Leave a Comment

These delicious crab cakes are a wonderful way to use crab meat. The sauce is unusual and adds a dash of flavor. Serve the cakes with a spinach salad, garlic mashed finger potatoes, and fresh asparagus. Note: This recipe requires advance preparation.

Ingredients

  • Fresh Tomato and Chile Tartar Sauce

  • 2 cups mayonnaise

  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, or to taste

  • 1/4 cup minced onion

  • 2 tablespoons minced drained bottled capers

  • 12 cornichons (French sour gherkins), minced

  • 2 fresh jalapeño chiles, seeds and stems removed, minced

  • 2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and minced

  • Louisiana Crab Cakes

  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into bits

  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

  • 2 cups milk

  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

  • 1 pound crab meat, picked over, ground fine

  • ½ cup minced red bell pepper

  • 2/3 cup minced green bell pepper

  • ½ cup minced yellow bell pepper

  • ½ cup minced green onion

  • ½ teaspoon ground cayenne

  • 3 cups fine, fresh bread crumbs

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

  • 2 tablespoons butter

  • Lemon wedges for garnish

Instructions

To make the tartar sauce, whisk together the mayonnaise, the lemon juice, onion, capers, cornichons, chiles, tomatoes, salt, and black pepper, and cover and chill the sauce for at least one hour or preferably overnight.

In a saucepan, heat the 6 tablespoons of butter over moderately low heat until the foam subsides, add the flour, and cook the roux, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add the milk in a stream, whisking vigorously, and bring the mixture to a boil. Add salt and black pepper to taste and simmer the white sauce, stirring, for 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the crab meat, bell peppers, green onions, cayenne, and the white sauce and let the mixture cool. Stir in 1 cup of the bread crumbs, shape the mixture into cakes using 1/4 cup measure, and dredge the cakes in the remaining 2 cups of bread crumbs, coating them thoroughly.

In a skillet heat some of the butter and oil over a moderately high heat until it is hot but not smoking; saute the crab cakes, in batches, for 3 or 4 minutes on each side, or until they are just golden, and transfer them to paper towels to drain. Add more of the butter and oil as you cook the remaining cakes.

Serve the crab cakes with the tartar sauce and lemon wedges.