# Let's talk about Ceviche. Please share your favorite recipe **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [March 8, 2023, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-ceviche-please-share-your-favorite-recipe/980863 "2023-03-08T09:11:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2023, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-ceviche-please-share-your-favorite-recipe/980863/1 "2023-03-08T09:11:44Z")
I’ve been watching Top Chef for as long as it’s been on and I see a lot of Ceviche served, but I’d never tried it until last year when I saw a tub for sale at Costco. I’m a fan! But I haven’t been able to find it since. So I guess I need to make some myself. There are a lot of options on the web, but I’d like to hear from you guys. So, will you please share your favorite recipe for a good Ceviche? Thanks all. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2023, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-ceviche-please-share-your-favorite-recipe/980863/2 "2023-03-08T12:37:18Z")
I don’t make it at home but I did once have a really nice ginger, lime and sea bass ceviche in a revolving restaurant in Cairo (I wasn’t paying, clients were). I honestly don’t think there was anything else in there apart from those three things, less is more in my opinion. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2023, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-ceviche-please-share-your-favorite-recipe/980863/3 "2023-03-08T12:45:15Z")
We eat ceviche once a week. My marinade consists of ginger, onions, jalapeños, sometimes a habanero, all minced and grated, lime juice and/or lemon juice, cilantro, and avocado. The fish is sushi grade tuna, salmon, striped bass, etc. The fish is chopped and goes into the marinade in the refrigerator for an hour. The avocado is added just before serving. ETA: by minced and grated I mean I mince some and grate some. ETA: my gf says fresh squeezed lime juice is way better than bottled. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2023, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-ceviche-please-share-your-favorite-recipe/980863/4 "2023-03-08T12:56:59Z")
Oh, I was hoping you’d post kayaker. I’ve seen your other references to ceviche. I was especially hoping for something with ginger. Thanks for your input. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2023, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-ceviche-please-share-your-favorite-recipe/980863/5 "2023-03-08T13:13:43Z")
Oh, and don’t forget scallops! If you get some nice scallops and slice them they make an excellent ceviche. Conch also. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2023, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-ceviche-please-share-your-favorite-recipe/980863/6 "2023-03-08T15:01:36Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > The avocado is added just before serving. That’s a trick I only learned recently. We have a rather large selection of ceviche at a large Mexican supermarket nearby (called Vallarta). The stuff is made in the store and will hold up for a couple days, but we now always chop and add our own avocado just before eating. Does anybody have an alternative to tortilla chips as a delivery platform? ---
**Author:** ![alovem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@alovem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alovem)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2023, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-ceviche-please-share-your-favorite-recipe/980863/7 "2023-03-08T19:13:52Z")
You could try making your own corn tortillas, if that sounds appealing. A press gets the best results: not too thin or thick, and uniform throughout. I just use my hands and two quarters of a sheet of parchment paper (cut it in four, use two) and make one relatively thick tortilla per serving. Takes a higher flame and longer time in the pan than you might expect. I do this often with grilled fish, grated raw cabbage, avocado, cilantro and Tabasco, and it’s really good. I don’t know how well it’ll go with ceviche, which I tried for the first time last year and haven’t eaten since but will probably try to make at home this year when the weather gets warmer. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2023, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-ceviche-please-share-your-favorite-recipe/980863/8 "2023-03-08T21:55:55Z")
A spoon worked great for me! 😋 I actually never even thought about using anything else. Just never even occurred to me. 🤯 ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2023, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-ceviche-please-share-your-favorite-recipe/980863/9 "2023-03-08T22:33:24Z")
Corn tortillas are good, if not a fork or a spoon. I use small shrimp, bay scallops, and squid rings, plus fish if something good is available. Seasoned sushi vinegar is an interesting addition to the citrus juices. I use roasted red peppers for color, and tomatillos when available. It’s hard to go wrong. If you’re worried about the uncooked fish drop in boiling water for just 1 minute before further curing. It should all be cut to small enough sizes that it cooks rapidly in boiling water. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2023, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-ceviche-please-share-your-favorite-recipe/980863/10 "2023-03-08T23:25:45Z")
I usually eyeball my recipe. Shelled & deveined shrimp, a tomato, some onion, some cilantro, a diced jalapeño and a buttload of lime juice. Always with tortilla strips. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2023, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-ceviche-please-share-your-favorite-recipe/980863/11 "2023-03-09T00:08:25Z")
Any Peruvian cookbook would have good recipes. But “sushi grade fish” is not always easy to find. Good salmon is, though. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2023, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-ceviche-please-share-your-favorite-recipe/980863/12 "2023-03-09T00:38:21Z")
> [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](#): > > A spoon worked great for me! Chopsticks. I eat my ceviche with chopsticks, as I do most non-soup foods. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2023, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-ceviche-please-share-your-favorite-recipe/980863/13 "2023-03-09T00:42:44Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > “sushi grade fish” is not always easy to find. I’ve befriended the owner/operator of a sushi truck. He’s an extreme foodie, as am I. I’ve additionally drawn two other friends into our group. Sushi truck guy gets good deals on sushi grade fish. We all throw in cash and get an even better deal on quantity purchases. Win/win. Plus, he’s helped me out with fish cutting lessons. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2023, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-ceviche-please-share-your-favorite-recipe/980863/14 "2023-03-11T13:27:39Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > Does anybody have an alternative to tortilla chips as a delivery platform? A good herby pita or other flatbread, cut into wedges. I prefer lemon over lime, and verjuice makes a nice addition. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2023, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-ceviche-please-share-your-favorite-recipe/980863/15 "2023-03-11T15:45:16Z")
I made my first batch and although I ate it and it wasn’t terrible, it wasn’t great either. I used scallops. I only purchased 4 of them, which was plenty for just me. Where I went wrong was in my portions (too much) and in the choices I made in cutting the onion and jalapeño (too big) and I grated the ginger with the wrong grater and ended up with some stringy bits. I would never have served it to anyone, but I did learn some things. So a smaller dice on the onion and pepper and a different grate on the ginger. It was very easy to prepare, so I’m less afraid of it. I watched a few videos and some people drained the liquid while others just included it in the final dish. I included it, but I may drain it next time. It was very tart. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2023, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-ceviche-please-share-your-favorite-recipe/980863/16 "2023-03-11T16:29:39Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > Does anybody have an alternative to tortilla chips as a delivery platform? They serve Johnny Cakes freshly made at Yvette’s with their Conch Ceviche. Mmmmm ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2023, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-ceviche-please-share-your-favorite-recipe/980863/17 "2023-03-11T16:46:25Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > We eat ceviche once a week. My marinade consists of ginger, onions, jalapeños, sometimes a habanero, all minced and grated, lime juice and/or lemon juice, cilantro, and avocado. Hmm, this is a 90% match with mine. I leave out the ginger, and use serrano and habanero chili instead of jalapeno - I want the extra heat and jalapenos tend to run the gamut of great to “this is a bell pepper right?” Lime juice (fresh) and a tiny splash of shaoxing wine brightens it for me. Green onions are a nice touch to go with the cilantro for flavor and crunch. During the summer months, when I can get fresh local (my MiL) tomatoes, I’m happy to add those, but the rest of the year I don’t bother. > [@kayaker](#): > > ETA: my gf says fresh squeezed lime juice is way better than bottled. And she is right, respect! Anyway, I very rarely make ceviche because in Colorado, getting seafood that benefits from the treatment costs 1.7 limbs of choice, and I just can’t justify it most of the time when cooking for one (wife is vegetarian). Corn chips (good ones, don’t cheap out on them) are fine, as are pitas, but I generally go with good store-bought corn tortillas, quickly heated in an oil filled skillet, and make my own chips with complementary flavors. Similar to this: > **[How to Make Homemade Tortilla Chips (Easy Recipe)](https://simmerandsage.com/homemade-tortilla-chips/)** > > How to Make Homemade Tortilla Chips (Easy Recipe) - make golden, crispy tortilla chips at home with lots of sea salt and lime I make it so the consistency of the ‘chips’ is a bit chewier than most corn chips, so it holds the ceviche per bite without shattering the way most corn chips do. And the salt and lime is emphasized this way since the chips themselves are seasoned.