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Fresh Fish Ceviche With Crispy Garlic

This is a light and delicious appetizer by Greek private chef, Sotiris Pitsas with San Diego, California influences. Ceviche is a fresh fish dish, where the fish is cured in the acid from citrus juices. It's also a little spicy.

Servings 6

Ingredients

  • 1 to 2 lbs. fresh sea bass, filleted and cut into chunks, no skin Or other meaty while fish. We used Black Cod since it was fresh and we couldn't get sea bass.
  • 1 bunch cilantro/coriander chopped stems for marinade, leaves for ceviche
  • 1 large red onion 1/2 chopped for marinade, 1/2 thinly sliced for ceviche
  • 1 cucumber, chopped remove seeds if necessary. (I used one half of an English cucumber that was larger and no seeds).
  • 1 red chili sliced, half for the marinade with seeds and half for ceviche or we used a serrano chili since we couldn't get the red chili
  • 5 limes, juiced for marinade save zest from one for ceviche
  • 1 lemon, juiced for marinade save zest from one for ceviche
  • 3 tbsp grated fresh ginger
  • 1 shot vodka
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 10 cloves garlic
  • 1 cup sunflower oil

Instructions

Marinade

  1. Combine lemon and lime juice, with the cilantro stems, half the pepper, half the red onion, ginger, vodka, sugar and water. Let sit for at least 30 minutes or more. Strain the marinade.

Ceviche Mixture

  1. Pour the marinade over the fish and refrigerate for three minutes (note: the chef recommends three minutes. If you want it more cooked, marinate longer. We did it for about 10 to 15 minutes by the time it was served). Strain, reserving the marinade. Combine the marinated fish, cilantro leaves, half of the red onion, cucumber, half the chopped pepper and the zest from one lemon and lime.

Crispy Garlic Topping

  1. Blend the oil and garlic in a blender. On medium heat in a pot, cook small amounts until brown (the oil will separate from the garlic). Drain on paper towels,

Refrigerate glasses. (We used margarita glasses since this is San Diego!).

  1. Serve with tortilla chips and a lime wedge if desired.

Plating the Ceviche

  1. Put the fish mixture in chilled glasses, pour some of the marinade over each and top with a bit of crispy garlic and fine sea salt. Serve!