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Search Gulf Coast Fisherman's Web Site Past articles, specific places or fish, etc.	Electronic Ceviche by John Hook	CURRENT MOON lunar phases
	Best of Ceviches from 2Coolfishing.com Get a few fishermen together and it won't be long before culinary subjects come up and this is especially true on fishing message boards. This feature of our tech centered age allows fishermen unlimited opportunity to commiserate and fraternize and they are well used. One of the best examples of this phenomenon is 2Coolfishing.com. It's a particularly active and vibrant example of just how electronically oriented fishermen have become. This June, a week after an irritatingly long windy spell on the Texas coast, fishermen were out en masse and stories, photos and general foolishness filled page after page on 2Cool's numerous boards. With all that fish, ceviche discussion was inevitable and one thing became abundantly clear, there are some seriously strong opinions about what goes into this classic summer preparation. Before I divulge what I consider to be 2Cool's "Best of Ceviche" recipes, we probably should look into some history, chemistry and biology relevant to lime juice marinated fish.
There are two primary theories on the origin of ceviche and both of them are equally plausible, and equally unlikely to be inarguably validated. Pre-Columbian era Peruvians have numerous backers as the initiators of cold cooked fish and there is quite a bit of evidence to support their claim as the inventors of ceviche. They are not alone though; Moorish slaves brought to South America by the Spanish very well may have been the first to tickle taste buds with their version. Their claim is pretty solid too since they did have access and experience with citrus, something the early Peruvians did not. Ceviche's magical cold cooking is all about chemistry even if there is a whole bunch of confusion about whether or not it is really cooked. Ceviche certainly looks like cooked fish and from a strict chemistry standpoint it is. Cooking with heat changes the shape of protein molecules resulting in new molecular behavior. Appearance, texture and taste are all different because transformed proteins react differently in a chemical sense. Ceviche takes advantage of the fact that heat isn't the only thing that causes protein molecules to change shape. Acids are particularly effective at causing shape changes in protein and alcohol will do the trick too. In fact, our Pre-Columbian friends most likely cold cooked their fish in an alcoholic home brew since citrus was limited to Southeast Asia at the time. Citric acid is the agent of choice for contemporary ceviche. Lime, lemon-lime combinations, sour orange and even Japanese yuzu all have their fans. The cooking argument gets interesting when biology comes into play. One of the great advantages of cooking our food is that high heat kills bacteria and parasites that would dearly love it if we would just eat our food raw. We control bacterial growth with careful cleaning techniques and refrigeration. Parasites on the other hand are a whole different matter. Most of these worm-like invaders set up shop in several different organisms during their life cycle and some of these cycles are dazzlingly complex. All of them must have hosts that they are likely to contact or the cycle would be broken, they would not leave offspring and would quickly become extinct. Land mammals, including humans, have frequent contact with freshwater organisms, so parasites utilize life cycles that incorporate freshwater mollusks, crustaceans and fish, as well as us. Even our intensely strong stomach acids are unable to stop these squirmers from setting up shop in our intestines or elsewhere. Oceanic fish and shellfish seldom come into contact with land mammals and so we are generally not hosts to parasites found in marine creatures. If we plan on cooking our food with acid then we have a bit of a parasite problem with freshwater fish as ceviche makings. The citrus juice that we normally use is very acidic but not nearly as much as our stomach acid. Unfortunately, many of our bay species spend enough time in low salinity estuaries eating the local food supply that they become infected with the exact same parasites as freshwater fish and are then ready to pass them on to us. It's pretty obvious then that saltwater fish that always live well offshore are the only ones that you should use for ceviche. I know, many people have been making ceviche for years with specks and reds, but that doesn't mean that it is a good idea. Whether we need to thank the Moors or the Peruvians, and all chemistry and biology aside, ceviche is one of the things coastal fishermen look forward to each summer. Here are three recipes from 2Cool for you to try the next time you have some mahi, red snapper or grouper that are just begging to be cooked cold. Ceviche Instigator · 2 cups diced fresh tomato (or good canned if fresh isn't available) · Enough fresh squeezed lime juice to cover diced fish (About 20 limes) · 1-1/2 cups diced sweet onion · 1 cup chopped scallion tops · 1/4 cup chopped cilantro · 1/8 cup chopped Serrano pepper (seeded to reduce heat if necessary) · Chopped avocado garnish (optional) · 1 ­ 11.5 oz can V-8 or tomato juice · 1/2 cup good olive oil · 1/2 cup dry white wine (pinot grigio, sauvignon blanc or chardonnay work) · 2 Tbs Worcestershire sauce · 2 Tbs soy sauce · Sprinkle of garlic salt · Sea salt to taste · Fresh ground black pepper to taste Dice the fish in 1/4 to 1/2 inch pieces. A variety of size is good. Cover and mix the diced fish with fresh squeezed lime juice and refrigerate 4 hours, mixing 2-3 times. Mix the chopped vegetables and liquid ingredients separately so that you can add the mixed liquid to get the finished consistency that you want. Rinse the fish well in tap water and then with a final rinse of bottled or R/O water and drain well. Mix the fish with the vegetables already in the liquid mix. Serve immediately or up to 3 days later (refrigerated of course). It is best 24 to 48 hours after making but it is darn good as soon as it is done. We push this recipe over the top by making our own tortilla chips. It's very easy and makes a world of difference. Quarter fresh corn tortillas and fry them in 350 F corn oil until golden. Remove and drain on paper. Salt the chips immediately after removing from the oil. Warning! Only make as many of these as you think you will need because you will eat every single one of them. They're irresistible. Captain Dave's Ceviche · 1 lb very small shrimp peeled/deveined · 1-2 lb firm whitefish, cut into 1/2 inch cubes · Juice of 12 BITTER oranges or juice of 8 lemons and 8 limes · 4 jalapeños or aji (Peruvian hot pepper) seeded and finely chopped · 1-2 large red onions thinly sliced · 1 cup fresh chopped cilantro · 1 Tbs tiny capers · 4 small hearts of romaine lettuce, shredded · 12 stalks heart of palm · 1 mango peeled and cut into thin slices · 1/2 red pepper, thinly sliced · 1 large hass avacado, peeled and diced · Salt & fresh ground pepper to taste Step 1: Drop the shrimp into boiling water for a minute and remove from water and put on ice to stop the cooking. Step 2: In a medium bowl mix the shrimp, fish, citrus, chilies, onions, salt & pepper. Cover and cool in the fridge for 3- 4 hours. Check for opaqueness of the fish and it should flake easily. Step 3: Mix the cilantro and capers into the ceviche. Then place the lettuce into the bottom of serving bowls. Step 4: Top with ceviche, palm hearts, mango, red pepper and avocado . Ceviche Laguna Madre de Kiko Gonzalez · 1 lb of fish · 1 lb of shrimp · 2 lbs of key lime · 3 sour oranges · 1 yellow onion · 1 bundle of cilantro · 3 Serrano or jalapeno pepper · 1 avocado · 1 shot of tequila (optional) · Salt (a must)   Dice the fish and shrimp, place in citrus juice for 2 to 3 hours, refrigerated Chop the vegetables except for avocado and add to the marinating fish for 30 minutes. Drain off half of the marinade Add chopped avocado, tequila and salt. Serve with crackers or tortilla chips. Enjoy! Home | Back