Four Dos and Don’ts for Crafting the Perfect Bowl of Ceviche

Flan

Ceviche is one of the oldest dishes in the canon of Hispanic food, and it’s also one of the most beloved. As What’s Cooking America details, ceviche likely got its start with the Inca people who lived in Peru and throughout South America over a thousand years ago. Since then, it has evolved into one of the most popular dishes in the world.

For many a home cook, however, ceviche recipes have become something of a bogeyman. Since ceviche recipes are consistently regarded as extremely difficult to get just right, many cooks simply avoid the issue, choosing only to enjoy the wonder that is this fresh, pleasantly acidic seafood dish when they’re at their favorite Mexican or Peruvian restaurant. If this sounds like you, it’s time to slay your fears. Follow these simple tips to making a great ceviche, and watch as your guests’ faces light up at your next dinner part from the second they dig in.

Four Easy to Follow Tips for Making the Perfect Ceviche Recipe at Home

  1. Choose Taste Over Timing
  2. For the popular cooking site ChowHound, one of the worst mistakes home cooks make when cooking ceviche is sticking to a rigid schedule for curing their seafood. The better way to go about the curing process is checking to see if you like the texture. If you feel like the seafood, whether it’s shrimp or red snapper, has the texture you’re looking for but it hasn’t yet sat for the “right” amount of time, don’t worry about it. Great cooking is all about taste, isn’t it?

  3. Oily Fish Makes for an Oily Ceviche
  4. Words can’t describe how unpleasant it is to eat a ceviche made from an oily fish, like tuna or mackerel. As Huffington Post details, oily fish make for an oily ceviche. These oils coat the tongue, effectively dulling your ability to taste any other flavors. In other words, using oily fish means making an extremely bland version of this classic dish.

  5. How You Cut the Fish is Crucial
  6. How you choose to cut up the seafood for your ceviche will have a huge effect on the final product, as The Guardian sagely suggests. If you cut the fish too finely, you risk over-curing it, and that can make for a very rubbery dish. If the pieces are too big, they won’t cure enough. For best results, you should cut the seafood you’re using into chunks that measure two-inches by three-inches. If you plan to make a shrimp ceviche, simply choose a size that fits those dimensions.

  7. Choose Your Aromatics Carefully
  8. The aromatics you choose to use in your ceviche will define its entire flavor profile. Keep in mind, different regional variations use different aromatics to impart that special, authentic flavor. In Mexico, for instance, it’s quite common to use fresh tomatoes, bell peppers, celery, or cucumber. Do your research to make sure that the aromatics you’re using will create a dish that fits the theme of your dinner.

There’s no doubt that making ceviche can be stressful. After all, it has long been regarded as one of the most difficult recetas de cocina to get right. Take a deep breath, pour yourself a glass of Dutch courage, and follow these tips; you’ll be surprised with what you come up with. Get more here: www.quericavida.com

Post navigation

Leave a Reply