Paddle Meals: Ceviche

Winter 2008

This is an article from WaveLength Magazine, available in print in North America and globally on the web.
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by Hilary Masson

In Baja Mexico, fishing from a kayak is often phenomenal. It gets you hooked on fishing with a handline and can provide the fresh fish for a traditional ceviche—a citrus marinated seafood salad. Just about any fresh seafood can be used in the making of ceviche, including shellfish. This easy and healthy treat is typically served as an appetizer on crackers or crusty bread, as a seafood cocktail or as a salad. Needing minimal prep work, cerviche is the perfect way to enjoy a refreshing seafood dish in a hot climate. It is delicious, so be sure to make lots!

It is hard to describe ceviche preparations without a few words about the diversity of fishing opportunities in Mexico. In these waters, paddling over a rocky shoal or reef and working a handline can produce Cabria (a type of rock fish) or the tasty white-fleshed Trigger Fish. A different strategy is casting from shore where schools of Jack Fish often swim close by. I’m often amazed at the abundance and variety of fish that will investigate any shiny lure. And swimming along the shore in snorkeling gear in the warm waters of the Sea of Cortez can provide more than aquatic vistas—when the conditions are right we find smooth sandy bottoms where large, dark colored clams (locally called chocolate clams) are abundant. Unlike in the Pacific Northwest, the Baja tidal height does not provide beaches for digging clams, so it’s necessary to get in the water and search for siphons sticking out of the sand. Free diving for clams is fun, and you can definitely improve with practice. Some savvy locals are able to get ten or more clams per breath.

Fishing being what it is, we’d likely go hungry if I was relying on catching fish for a meal, but between fishing and snorkeling for clams we are often able to provide a special treat for a group lunch.

Ceviche is a hit anywhere, and with fresh seafood opportunities in British Columbia, I always plan for a ready supply of key limes on my kayak trips there as well. The ultimate is salmon ceviche. Salmon is an excellent base for this dish as it slices so beautifully. The onion and cilantro combination is ideally matched with the flavor of marinated salmon, and the color combination is impressive. With salmon ceviche, try making a sour cream and horseradish spread for the crackers. This will be a big hit with your fellow paddlers!

Happy paddling, fishing and eating on the beach! All you need is your snorkel or your fishing gear.

Ceviche
The only tools necessary for making ceviche are a lime press, a big spoon and a big bowl. Cleaning and rinsing the seafood prepares it for soaking in lime juice. Clams or scallops must be shucked, prawn heads removed, teeth removed from octopus, and it’s best if fish are carefully filleted. The whole point of ceviche is to “cook” the seafood in a lime marinade. The acidic nature of the limes will change the color of the fish, making it easy to determine when the lime has soaked all the way through, effectively cooking it. This can take anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour-and-a-half depending on the type of fish and the size of pieces.

1 pound seafood of your choice, chopped in thin slices
15 key limes, juiced
1 onion, diced
4 tomatoes, diced
2 green chilies, finely chopped
1 bunch of cilantro, finely chopped
2 avocados, sliced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon oregano

1. After rinsing, evenly chop seafood into thin pieces and collect in the bowl.

2. Squeeze the juice of 15 limes into the bowl, and thoroughly mix the seafood.

3. Add the diced onion (this needs to be in the lime juice for the same length of time as the seafood).

4. While the fish is cooking in the lime marinade, prepare the other ingredients: chop cilantro, tomato, green chilies and avocado. Grated carrots and finely chopped peppers of all colors can also be added if you want to be creative and original.

5. Stir all of these ingredients in the bowl with the soaking limes, seafood and onions.

6. A great addition is a topping of salsa, although some cooks prefer to add something sweet like ketchup to balance the sour limes.

Ceviche is best served scooped on top of crackers or on tostadas. The corn tortillas that are made into round, hard chips are ideal.