Ceviche with avocado and grilled corn! White fish is “cooked” in lime juice until opaque and firm, then tossed with avocado and corn. Fresh, easy and fast.
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Have you heard of ceviche? It’s a popular dish in many Latin American countries that uses lemon or lime juice to “cook” raw fish.
I just got back from an amazing trip to Costa Rica where I literally ate ceviche every day. I’ve eaten it at a few high-end restaurants, as well as countless bars and roadsides lemonades (family run restaurants).
My favorite meal was at a small bar in the tiny surfer village of Estarillos Oeste. Here came the ceviche with grilled corn, avocado and local sea bass. That was the inspiration for the recipe I’m making here!
Ceviche is all about timing. If you make your ceviche too early, the fish will initially become too firm and then start to turn into mush as the citrus denatures the proteins. But if the fish hasn’t marinated in the citrus juice long enough, it will still be a little jelly-like.
Ceviche is perfect when the outside of the fish is an opaque white, but the inside is still a little translucent.
When I’m in a hurry, I sometimes cut the fish pieces smaller to reduce the cooking time to 15-20 minutes instead.
It may take a few tries to find your perfect texture! Start tasting the fish after about 15 minutes, and try every few minutes until you like the fish.
Even though “cooking” fish in this way changes its texture and flavor, it is still raw from a food safety standpoint. Finding a fishmonger you trust that will sell you fresh, quality fish is extremely important.
One more note about the corn for this recipe: When candy corn is in season, it really only needs a few minutes of steaming before it’s perfect. If you have the time, I think it’s worth the extra step of tossing it on the grill or under the grill for a few minutes because of the charred flavor, but if you’re in a hurry, you can definitely skip this step .
Ceviche with avocado and grilled corn
Although “cooking” fish in this way changes its texture and flavor, it is still essentially raw from a food safety standpoint. It is therefore extremely important to find a trusted fishmonger who will sell you quality fresh fish.
Serve ceviche with thick-cut tortilla chips like salsa, or eat it plain in a salad.
ingredients
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4 whole ears of corn
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4 to 6 limes, juiced (3/4 to 1 cup juice)
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1/4 red onion, very thinly sliced
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1 pound firm white fish, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (I used halibut)
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2 medium-ripe avocados, diced
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1 cup loosely packed coriander leaves, chopped
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1/2 teaspoon salt
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Thick-cut tortilla chips for serving
method
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Cook Corn:
Fill a large saucepan with about an inch of water. Place a steamer at the bottom of the pot and layer the corn on top. Cover tightly and cook on high for 10 minutes.
When cool enough to touch, husk the corn.
If desired, brush the corn with oil and grill on a hot grill (or under a high grill) for a few minutes on each side, until the corn begins to caramelize and begin to crisp in places.
Allow to cool (you can proceed to the ceviche preparation). When cool enough, cut the corn off the cob. The corn can be prepared up to a day in advance.
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Prepare and marinate the ceviche:
In a large bowl, mix together the lime juice, red onion, and salt. Add the fish and stir so the fish is evenly coated in lime juice.
Cover and refrigerate until fish is firm and opaque, 15 to 30 minutes. Stir occasionally if you think about it. After 15 minutes, start tasting the fish and continue until it’s as firm as you like.
When it has reached the desired firmness, it is best to serve the ceviche right away. (Ceviche left too long will eventually become soggy and unsightly.)
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Surcharge:
To serve, stir in the diced avocado, corn kernels, and chopped cilantro. You don’t need to strain before serving, but if it seems like there’s a lot of liquid, serve with a slotted spoon.
Serve immediately with thick-cut tortilla chips.
