Ceviche is the perfect dish for a sunny springtime day: Here’s how to make it

Springtime and seafood go hand in hand, and a no-cook dish like light and tangy ceviche is perfect for these sunny days.

What exactly is ceviche? It’s a cold, quick, and raw white fish or shellfish dish that is marinated in citrus juice (lime, lemon, passion fruit, or bitter orange) until it becomes opaque and “cooked” in the marinade. The acid in the citrus juice breaks down the proteins in the small pieces of seafood or fish making it tender and delicious without heat.

Because it is essentially raw, the fish or seafood needs to be impeccably fresh. Ceviche is the most popular lunch or dinner appetizer dish in Peru (where it originated).

Ceviche is a blank canvas for all kinds of seafood. Peruvian restaurants make ceviche with octopus, squid, shrimp, scallops, snapper, flounder and corvina in Peruvian restaurants, but the good news is that it’s extremely easy to make at home.

The fish should sit for no longer then 5 to 6 minutes in the marinade (tiger’s milk) for a firm exterior with a tender translucent center.

Many cooks think ceviche should marinate longer before serving to “cook” the fish, which will result in a tough texture.

A good ceviche should be served immediately after it has been made. It’s flavored with thinly sliced red onion, herbs and hot chiles and garnished Peruvian style with chunks of sweet potato, and choclo corn (large-kernel Peruvian corn that can be found frozen in Latin American markets).

A chilled mixing bowl and serving plate will keep everything very cold during the process. The remaining marinade is often served as a drink in a shot glass.

This recipe is adapted from “Seafood Simple” by Eric Ripert, published by Random House Books ($35.00)

Beaulieu Vineyard’s Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2024 ($40.00) with its crisp. acidic notes of lemon and grapefruit make this wine a natural pairing for the lime and fresh seafood flavors of ceviche.

Ripert writes, “For this dish, I was inspired by the traditional Peruvian way of making ceviche, and particularly by ceviche master Javier Wong of Chez Wong in Lima, Peru. He makes ceviche at the speed of light, from filleting the fish to plating in mere minutes. Fluke is a very tender fish with a lot of sweetness. Cutting it into cubes or large pieces and marinating in lime helps release the fluke’s own juice, known as leche de tigre (“tiger’s milk”), which, according to some anecdotes, contains hangover-curing qualities—take that information how you will! “

Fluke Ceviche

1-1/2 pounds fluke fillet, skinned

3/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 4 juicy limes)

1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion

Fine sea salt and freshly ground white pepper

2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh cilantro

2 teaspoons roughly chopped fresh mint

2 teaspoons fresh basil chiffonade

1 teaspoon minced jalapeño pepper

Cut the fluke into 1-inch pieces and place them in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate.

Strain the lime juice through a fine-mesh sieve into a separate bowl. Add the red onion and season with sea salt and white pepper.

Generously season the fluke with sea salt and white pepper. Add the lime juice and red onion mixture along with the cilantro, mint, basil and jalapeño. Gently toss to combine. Let the fluke marinate for five minutes to allow the juices to be extracted from the fish.

Divide the ceviche evenly among six small bowls and serve immediately.

Yield: Serves 6 as an appetizer