In the Raw

View from the back of our “gas station” office

Enough with comfort food — it’s starting to make me very uncomfortable when I look in the mirror. Snow always inspires me to drag out all my hot and heavy recipes and fire up the Viking. But as the fifth snow storm of the season comes barreling up the coast this week threatening to double the height of the sides of our luge driveway course, I find myself screaming for the “lite”. Instead of creams and pasta-based concoctions, my tongue is hankering for the clean, the raw and the tropically-inspired. My son taught me how to make ceviche (not the ketchup-soaked variety) last time we were in Mexico. Because it’s delicious, so simple and makes a lot, it passes muster on all counts as a “recipe” worthy of passing along. It’s just one of those touchy, feel-y, taste-it sort of recipes, so I am giving it to you just as it was told to me… along with some warming photos.

Here’s what you’ll need..

A mild fish like fluke, tuna, or even scallops

A red onion, seeded tomato, cilantro, and a lime

Jalapeno pepper and 1/2 of a habanera pepper

A sharp knife

And ice

KR: Ok Charlie, spill the beans, how do you make that amazing concoction you whipped up in Mexico.

CR: Start with a mild fish like Fluke or Tuna or even scallops which are pretty interesting. Cut the fish into equal-sized cubes…about dime-size, so it “cooks” evenly.

KR: Cooks?

CR: When you put the fish into the citrus juice it actually cooks the fish.

KR: What do you recommend using for the juice?

CR: I like using lime juice but you can use orange or lemon. It does change the taste of the ceviche, so it’s an individual preference.

KR: How long do you “cook” this?

CR: Let the fish stand in the juice along with a generous amount of sea salt in a bowl covered with plastic wrap for about ten minutes max.

KR: And in the meantime?

CR: Cut up the cilantro. Use some of the stems of the cilantro for more flavor. And cut up the tomato; the red onion, jalapeno pepper; and 1/2 the habanero (put in the whole thing depending on how much burn your tongue can take).

KR: Charlie, I totally recommend going light on the habanero. Too much of that leaves you unable to taste anything.

CR: All of your quantities need to be adjusted depending on how much fish you bought. Drain off the excess juice from the fish and mix in your cut-up ingredients. You might want to add some more lime juice to the fish if you’ve drained off all the juice. Go ahead, enjoy and say “hola” to Mexico.