Cooking Class with Chef Ivan Flowers Lesson 33 - Ceviche

Last week I taught you how to make the ultimate B.L.T. The week before that I covered fried chicken. Well, a friend reminded me that bikini weather IS coming, so could I please share a figure friendly class. What immediately came to my mind? Ceviche, pronounced suh-vee-chey, is a dish comprised of pieces of raw fish marinated in citrus juices. It is healthy, low calorie and fabulous for these warmer days.

Before we get cooking, let me tell you a little more about ceviche. It originated in Peru and is now served almost everywhere in the world. As I said before, it is made with raw fish that is cured in citrus juices. While the citric acid in the juice does not cook the fish, it changes the texture, making it more opaque and firm, almost as if it had been cooked. The beauty of this dish is that although the texture changes, the flavor of that super fresh fish shines through. Because the fish is NOT cooked, it is very important to use the freshest fish when making this dish. Why? It minimizes any risk of getting sick from any bacteria or parasites. Ceviche can be made with almost any fish: albacore, sole, flounder, halibut, sea bass, etc. I do not recommend that you use oilier fish like salmon because this type of preparation tends to make it taste fishy. All that being said, ceviche is a super flavorful dish that combines a variety of flavors that are quite addictive.

Now, let’s get cooking.

This recipe will serve four to six people. For it you will need:

• large glass bowl
• slotted spoon
• large spoon
• four parfait glasses
• one pound fresh halibut cut into ½ inch cubes (I suggest making this the same day or 2nd day after purchasing the fish)
• 5 ounces lemon juice
• 5 ounces lime juice
• five ounces orange juice
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• salt
• pepper
• 2 teaspoons sweet chili
• 1 finely diced jalapeno seeds removed
• 1/8 teaspoon ground coriander
• 2 medium avocado diced
• 3 roma tomatoes (seeds and pulp removed)
• 6 lavosh crackers
• 1 pound watermelon cut into one inch squares

The first thing you are going to do is put your halibut in the freezer and your glass bowl in the fridge. You put the halibut in the freezer to make it easier to dice and you put your glass bowl in the fridge because we want everything to stay very cold. This cuts back on any risk of any bacterial problems.

While the halibut is in the freezer, get together your citrus juices. After fifteen minutes, take out the halibut and dice into ½ inch cubes. Try to keep the cuts as uniform as possible, this will help all the fish to cure properly. Once diced, remove the glass bowl from the fridge; add the halibut and citrus juice. Using a spoon, toss the fish and make sure it is completely covered in the citrus juice.

Now cover with plastic and put back in the fridge. The fish will need to sit in the fridge for about two hours, until the halibut turns from translucent to an opaque white color.

On a side note, when making ceviche you must use either glass or plastic dishes. Never use metal or aluminum because the same acid that cures the fish, also works on that metal and will make everything taste metallic.

While the halibut is curing, put your parfait glasses in the freezer. Next chop your cilantro. Now, seed and dice your jalapeno. The seeds are removed because that is where most of the heat lives in a pepper, if you like super-hot, go ahead and leave the seeds.

The next step is prepping the tomatoes. I like to remove the seeds and pulp from them for this dish because I want the flavor of the tomato, but not all the juice. To seed a tomato simply cut it in half lengthwise and then run a large spoon down the center of each tomato, then dice.

Now, dice your watermelon and avocados. Remember to put a squeeze of lemon on your avocado so it does not oxidize. Once all the fruits and veggies are prepped, cover them and put them in the fridge.

After two hours, remove the halibut from the fridge. Now, mix in your cilantro, avocado, jalapeno, sweet chili, coriander and tomato. We wait to combine the veggies because if we let them sit in the liquid with the fish they would lose all their integrity.

Also, I like to add the sweet chili because it helps to balance out all the acidity from the citrus.

At this point, please salt and pepper to taste. Next get your parfait glasses out of the freezer and place three cubes of watermelon into the bottom of each glass. Now, using the slotted spoon to scoop up the ceviche mixture and place on top of the watermelon in the parfait glass. I like using the slotted spoon because I don’t want too much of the citrus juice, if you get too much the fish continues to cure and can become mushy.

Finally, serve with lavosh pieces plunged into the top of the ceviche.

I like to serve this with chilled forks or spoons, so if you would like to do the same, simply place your utensils on a plate in the freezer for about two hours.

Please note, this is a same day dish. Meaning you make it and eat it the same day. It does NOT carry over into the next day. Additionally, throw out all the citrus juice used to cure the fish. This can’t be used again. Again, all of this is because we don’t want any chance of a bacterial issue.

I know you will fall in love with ceviche. The combination of that firm, slightly acidic fish, paired with the creaminess of the avocado, the heat of the jalapeno and the sweet crispness of the watermelon is, well, a flavor explosion. It hits every flavor receptor on your tongue and the variations in the mouth feel are exquisite. Have fun with the recipe, use mango, try a serrano pepper, top with finely diced red onion and make this dish your own. As with any technique or recipe, the most important component is the cook’s heart. The heart is what creates delicious flavor.

Chef Ivan Flowers brings 25 years of fine cuisine experience to Top of The Market, San Diego. Prior to becoming Executive Chef at Top of The Market, Chef Flowers owned Fournos restaurant in Sedona, Arizona, named a top 25 restaurant in Arizona. He was also Executive Chef at L’Auberge de Sedona, the AAA Four-Diamond, Four Star award winning restaurant. Flowers has created extraordinary cuisine for some of the finest restaurants in Arizona, including T. Cooks at Scottsdale's Royal Palms Resort and the Phoenician's Mary Elaine's and Different Pointe of View.

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