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May 20, 2016

Spicy Halibut Ceviche with Casera Style Tortilla Chips

Spicy Halibut Ceviche with Casera Style Tortilla Chips from Karen's Kitchen Stories

This Spicy Halibut Ceviche is so refreshing and bold. It is an amazing appetizer and is representative of seaside Mexican street food. I'm so glad I finally tried making it!

I'm in this little group of Fish Friday food blogger pals who post fish dishes on the third Friday of every month. We were pulled together by my friend Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm. The theme of this month's Fish Friday is "spicy," chosen by Caroline of Caroline's Cooking.

While my first thoughts were tacos or enchiladas, I decided to get adventurous and try making a spicy ceviche.

Spicy Halibut Ceviche with Casera Style Tortilla Chips from Karen's Kitchen Stories

Ceviches are traditionally made with a meaty salt water fish such as halibut, snapper, or bass. The fish is "cooked" in lime juice, and then flavored with various ingredients, such as onion, minced green olives, cilantro, and chiles.

Ceviche made with raw fish should be made with a sashimi grade fish, and it should have no odor at all. If your fish smells the least bit "fishy," don't use it for ceviche. Get the fish from the most reliable fish purveyor you can find. Note: fish that has been blast frozen on the docks right after it has been caught and then shipped to your fishmonger is as good if not better than fresh fish that has never been frozen.

If you are still squeamish about using raw fish, you can also make this ceviche with small cooked shrimp or cooked bay scallops. Just marinate the fish for about 20 minutes in about half the amount of lime juice.

Spicy Halibut Ceviche with Casera Style Tortilla Chips from Karen's Kitchen Stories

I decide to go all in and use wild Alaskan halibut for this ceviche. I bought it at this little fish market that recently opened up nearby. It's not inexpensive, but it's totally worth it.

Okay, I'll admit it... between the fish and the limes, this is probably the most expensive recipe on this blog, except for possibly this beef bourguignon (depending upon the price of the entire bottle of wine added to the dish). What can I say? I love flexing new culinary muscles and making food I've never tried before. This dish was worth every penny. I had it for lunch, dinner, and breakfast the next day. Mr. Kitchen, who won't even try sushi, loved it too.

This recipe is perfect for a party appetizer with homemade "casera style" tortilla chips.  We enjoyed it with mango and chili margaritas.

mango and chili margaritas


Spicy Halibut Ceviche with Casera Style Tortilla Chips

Ingredients


For the ceviche

1 pound sashimi quality wild Alaskan halibut, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 1/2 cups fresh lime juice (about 18 limes)
1 small white onion, finely chopped
2 large jalapeños, stems removed, and roughly sliced
1/4 cup pitted green olives
3 ripe Roma tomatoes, cored, and chopped into 3/8 inch pieces 
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar

For the tortilla chips

10 to 15 corn tortillas
1 to 2 cups of vegetable oil
Sea salt

Instructions


To make the ceviche

  1. Place the fish in a medium glass bowl, and add the lime juice. Stir in the onion and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours. 
  2. Drain the fish and onion mixture, reserving about 1/3 of the liquid in the refrigerator.
  3. In a mini food processor, pulse together the jalapeños and green olives. Add the mixture to the fish and onions.  
  4. Add the tomatoes, cilantro, olive oil, salt, and sugar. Refrigerate prior to serving, no more than an hour or so. 
  5. Serve with fresh tortilla chips, with or without adding back some of the lime juice liquid, depending on your taste. 

To make the tortilla chips

  1. Cut the corn tortillas into triangles. 
  2. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven to 350 degrees F.
  3. Cook the chips, in batches, until lightly browned. Drain on paper towels. 
  4. Sprinkle with sea salt. 
Ceviche recipe adapted from Fiesta at Rick's by Rick Bayless. There are several amazing ceviche recipes in this book. 

Would you like to join Fish Friday Foodies? We post and share new seafood/fish recipes on the third Friday of the month. To join our group please email Wendy at wendyklik1517@gmail.com.Visit our Facebook page and Pinterest page for more wonderful fish and seafood recipe ideas.



Would you like to comment?

  1. Looks sooo good! And that margarita!! Yum! I want to come party at your house - and I'm not a partyer! :)

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    1. We'll come up with our own version of "partying." More subdued and dignified, right?

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  2. We have yet to make ceviche, but we've always been intrigued by it. Yours looks so beautiful! What a perfect party appetizer!

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    1. Thanks so much Sarah! I love how Fish Fridays is "forcing" me to flex new cooking muscles.

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  3. This looks amazing! And I love the cocktail, too. Nice!

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  4. You got me thinking about which would be the most expensive recipe in my blog... I've got no idea, maybe some with lobster tails? Actually there is one recipe I made in California using the best quality sea bass and guess what? I completely messed up the photos by some boo-boo with the adjustment of the lenses and they were all out of focus. I could never blog on that recipe, which was pretty fantastic. Used some coating with crumbled rye bread (which I made myself just for the recipe) - I remember the pain of not being able to blog on it... never made it again. Now I doubt I would have access to the same quality sea bass... (sigh)

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    1. Oh what a shame! And coated with crumbs from homemade rye bread! Wow! I forgot I had a lobster post too... but I still think this one is the most expensive. The price of limes these days. We have a tree, but it hasn't been producing yet!

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  5. Tempting ceviche and lovely drink to go with it. Great!

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  6. I love ceviche and this looks great - the cocktail to go alongside sounds fantastic as well!

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    1. Thanks Caroline =) I had one recently at a restaurant and had to try one at home!

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  7. I adore the fact that you included olives in this recipe. Yummy! This is the perfect summer snacking dinner food!!!

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    1. Thank you Colleen. I was a little worried about the look of the green color, but it added such a great brininess to the ceviche.

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    2. I hope you don't mind, but I mentioned your recipe on my blog Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice this morning as one that I can't wait to make for Memorial Day!

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    3. I don't mind at all. I'm flattered!

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  8. I love a good ceviche, and this looks wonderful. I wonder if I can get one of my friends who fish to bring me a fresh fish, right out of the Gulf so I can try this.

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  9. You know this recipe is absolutely delicious because it is adapted from our idol, Rick Bayless LOL> Thanks for sharing Karen.

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    1. I actually have two of his cookbooks and this is the first recipe I've tried... I need to get all over those recipes!

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  10. I have to admit Karen I normally do not like ceviche as it does not go down well with me. But this looks simply fabulous. Loved the chili margharita addition on the side ;)

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    1. Thanks Georgina! I'm with you on the cocktail too!

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