Chosen Bites: Award winning dish

Seviche is super fresh fish that is cured with an acid and is perfect for a celebratory meal.

By LAURA FRANKEL
Fish Ceviche 390 (photo credit: Thinkstock/Imagebank)
Fish Ceviche 390
(photo credit: Thinkstock/Imagebank)
One of my favorite year round appetizers or light dinners is seviche. Refreshing, light and perfect for your Academy Award dinner of any night you want an invigorating meal, seviche or ceviche is super fresh fish that is cured with an acid, usually citrus juices. The fish is then garnished with chopped vegetables, spicy pepper and crispy salad greens and then served. High in protein and very lean, seviche will satisfy your hunger without weighing you down.
Seviche is similar to the Spanish escabeche, but instead of the fish being flash fried, it’s left completely raw. It’s important to use high quality fresh fish for seviche. Once you have your fish, the possibilities are endless. I like to cure my fish in a mix of lime juice and coconut milk and then garnish with chopped cucumbers, spicy peppers, chopped green onions and salad greens. The flavors are delicious and exotic. I serve seviche as a first course, as a salad or sometimes as a light dinner. There are no rules when making seviche. The only requirement is that the fish be fresh. If you don’t want to use lime juice, use orange, lemon, grapefruit juices or rice wine vinegar. Garnish with whatever vegetables appeal to you and have fun.
SevicheServes 4 as a first course
12 ounces fresh fish, salmon, tuna, St. Peter’s fish or favorite fish, diced2 cups citrus juices, (lime, blood orange, lemon)1 cup coconut milk (optional)Suggested Garnishes: cucumbers, scallions, red onions, salad greens, spicy peppers, chopped mango, fresh herbs (cilantro, parsley, basil)Salt and pepper
1.    Place the fish in medium non-reactive bowl. Add the citrus juice and coconut milk.2.    Cure the fish for 15 minutes. Drain and discard the marinade.3.    Place the fish with garnishes on an attractive platter and serve immediately.
Chef Laura Frankel is Executive Chef for Spertus Kosher Catering and author of Jewish Cooking for All Seasons, and Jewish Slow Cooker Recipes.