Ceviche: Popular Latin American dish is becoming hot choice for Bay Area diners
By Jolene Thym - FOOD WRITER
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This is Part One of a three-part series called "Cooking Without Heat." Next week, we'll offer suggestions on Main Course Salads.
It's too hot to cook. Or it's too late. You don't feel good. You're too fat, too skinny, too sad, too stressed. Maybe it's just too much trouble to think about what you want to eat. Ceviche. That's the answer. Chop a pile of fresh fish, mix it with peppers and lime and your troubles are over.
``In Peru, we eat the ceviche all the time. Every day, ceviche,'' says Giuliana Ugarelli, a Peruvian who just moved to Berkeley. ``We eat it when it's cold, when it's hot. We eat it for New Year's because we have a hangover. On the first of January, everybody eats ceviche.''
Ugarelli's only problem, she says, is she has no idea how to turn a pile of raw fish into the fresh, spicy seafood melange she loves to eat.
``In Peru, we don't learn how to make it because we have a cook to do the work.''
To master the art of preparing what is fast becoming one of the most popular of all Latin foods, Ugarelli and friends Nadia Osores and Daniella Tocalino spent an evening in the Emeryville kitchen of Penelope Alzamora, a chef, cooking instructor and owner of Bohemia restaurants in Lima, Peru.
Ceviche, Alzamora says, is basically a mix of Peruvian peppers and fresh, raw fish that is "cooked" in the acid of Key limes. It can also include fruit, avocado, other diced vegetables, and cilantro.
In Peru, ceviche is always served with slices of cooked yam, steamed corn, bowls of popcorn, salty cancha (toasted Peruvian corn), and lots of cold beer. A fancier presentation includes steamed mussels topped with fresh salsa.
Even though Bay Area ceviche cannot possibly compare to the ethereal dish they ate back home in Peru - the fish and the peppers available here just aren't the same - the three students are determined to make an acceptable facsimile.
``Do you know how to cook the octopus? Do you know how to clean the calamari?'' Alzamora asks. ``Watch, I am going to show you. It is so easy.''
As she talks, Alzamora slices a beautiful, white halibut filet into perfect bite-sized squares, then rolls a dozen little Key limes, two by two, before she squeezes the juice into a bowl. Next, she pulls out a frozen, thawed rocoto pepper that looks like a tomato.
``This is very hot,'' she warns. The women giggle. ``In Peru," says Ugarelli, "someone will take a piece and say, `It is a tomato!' and give it to you in a bar. Do not eat it!''
Far more mild is the bright yellow aji amarillo, a pepper that is a bit spicier, yet fruitier in flavor than the yellow bell pepper we have here in California. ``People say it tastes like pineapple,'' Alzamora says.
An hour into the class, perfectly garnished dishes begin to emerge from the kitchen. A plate of mussels topped with fresh salsa is followed by a slightly spicy "ceviche mixto," the hunks of fish white on the surface, but still raw inside.
"To make ceviche, you want to get everything ready before you put it together," Alzamora says, ``or you will overcook it. The flavors will turn flat and the fish will be all wrong.'' She wrinkles her nose.
Students learn how to clean squid, peel and blanch prawns, and how to cook live octopus. ``You never want to overcook the baby octopus or it will be very rubbery,'' she says. ``You take it and you dip it into the water, five or six times. When it is tender, it is done.'' After she completes and serves each dish, Alzamora begins another, then another. Ceviches are served on dishes and plates and in martini glasses.
``The glass is very popular because people like to drink the juice. It's called tiger juice. Mix it with vodka and they call it a black panther.''
The concept of ceviche, Alzamora says, dates back to the 15th century, when the Incas who caught fish along the coast, then marinated it in a citrus-type fruit to preserve its fresh flavor during the long transport back to the Andes.
Ceviche is served in Ecuador, Chile, Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico. It also has roots in Polynesia, where it is marinated in vinegar; in Spain, where it is marinated in lemons and onions; and in Japan, where it is served with a soy-ginger sauce.
But nowhere in the world is ceviche more popular than in the coastal towns of Peru, where every neighborhood is packed with cevicherias, tiny little stands that serve up dozens of different kinds of ceviche for as little as $1 per serving.
Until recently, Alzamora says, seafood and fish in general were considered a low-class food in Peru.
``Fish is so cheap in Peru. People in the upper classes wouldn't touch it. It wasn't until the Japanese came here and started serving it in little stands, like you would have a taco stand, that people became more familiar with it.
``The Chinese and the Japanese came here and saw all of the seafood. They loved it and thought it was just silly that the chefs here weren't using it more.''
Little restaurants featuring seafood ceviches began to pop up everywhere. ``Now ceviche is the national dish of Peru. You ask anyone,'' Alzamora says. Beverly Hills chef Nobu Matsuhisa, who owns restaurants all over the world, including one in Lima, is credited with igniting U.S. interest in ceviche more than a decade ago, when he started serving it at Nobu, his New York restaurant.
Nobu's style of ceviche is pure fusion, using large pieces of fish and seafood that are barely marinated in acid, often still pink or translucent. It is his style that inspires chef Martin Castillo of Limon in San Francisco.
``It is my desire to make the foods that are authentic to Peru,'' Castillo says, adding that he learned to cook from his mother. Since Limon opened a year ago, it has had three ceviches on the menu. Castillo rotates recipes, but he does not plan to expand the menu anytime soon. ``We are a very small place, and we need to do the ceviche right. That means fresh. If we make too many, it won't work.''
Right now, Limon serves one Nobu-style ``tiradito'' ceviche, with large, sashimi-style pieces of fish arranged on a dish and barely marinated at all; a camarones, or prawn, ceviche; and a mixto, a mixture of seafood and halibut mixed with the traditional peppers and lime.
Bay Area diners, Castillo says, are pretty savvy about ceviche, but on occasion people will send their dishes of ceviche back to the kitchen, thinking that they should have been served hot.
``In Peru, we do not use the word raw,'' Castillo explains. ``We use the word fresh. Now we put on the menu, `Fresh, raw, chilled.' ''
Those who aren't keen on the idea of eating raw fish for dinner will be happy to know that unlike Peruvian ceviche, Mexican and other Latin cuisines typically marinate ceviche for hours, until the fish and seafood is completely cooked in the acid.
A very much-marinated style of ceviche is served at Fonda, a tapas-style restaurant on Solano Avenue in Albany. There, the fish spends five hours in acid before it is served.
``The difficulty in cooking fish with acid is that you really don't have heat control,'' says Fonda sous chef Anthony Paone. ``We haven't quite figured out how to cook the fish to medium-rare and have it look nice.''
To make sure everything is well cooked, he says, he blanches most seafoods and makes sure the fish is cut into relatively small pieces.
The restaurant, opened a year-and-a-half ago, has tried several types of ceviche, including some lobster and mango, and scallops with avocado. Not content with a staid menu, Paone says he and the other chefs continue to experiment, looking to Nobu, the Japanese chef, for inspiration.
Well-cooked ceviche is also the preferred style at Habana Restaurant in San Francisco.
``We find that the more cooked versions have wider appeal than the raw fish. Even though people eat sushi and sashimi, we draw a different customer,'' says Habana chef Joseph Kohn.
``We get lots of questions about ceviche. People always want to know if it's cooked,'' he says. The way Habana prepares ceviche, there is nothing raw about it.
``We use lime most of the time because the acid is very strong. We will marinate it for about three-and-a-half hours so that it is very well done. At that point, we toss it with vegetables, fruits and flavored broths.''
The result, he says, is a ceviche that is becoming more popular every day.
``People like ceviche because it fits the Atkins Diet. It's no-fat, high-protein, low-carb, and it tastes good. People love it.'' Habana typically offers three different ceviches each day, usually including scallops, prawns and tuna.
Even though just about any shellfish can make a beautiful ceviche, including mussels, oysters, clams, octopus and urchins, Kohn says his restaurant sticks to the more familiar fish and seafoods.
Ceviche menus, Kohn adds, are entirely seasonal, since they rely on fresh ingredients. ``In the middle of summer we'll do scallops with diced melons. Later in summer, when the tomatoes get ripe we'll do smoked tomatoes and fresh tomatoes with lots of cilantro.''
Even though some diners think of ceviche as exotic, Kohn says that the fully cooked versions often take the place of the traditional American-style shrimp cocktail.
``As long as we don't get too adventurous, people who would normally eat a shrimp cocktail will check our ceviche menu. When they do, they're usually very pleased, since the flavor of the seafood is so much fresher when it's not muddled with too much sauce.''
You can e-mail Jolene Thym, food writerat jthym~angnewspapers.com or call (510) 353-7008.
Great Viviche [sic] recipes
All of the following recipes were developed by Penelope Alzamora
CEVICHE PERUANO AL AJI AMARILLO
(Halibut Ceviche with Peruvian Yellow Hot Pepper Sauce)
Ask Peruvians what our national dish is and we will proudly say "ceviche."
The origin of our ceviche comes from the Incas, who ate a marinated fish dish with tumbo (Incas' very acid fruit); then the Spanish contributed the Mediterranean custom of using lemons and onions. The word itself has been attributed to both Quechua ("sivich") and Moorish ("seivech") influences.
It may have a complex lineage, but the basic elements for a good ceviche are freshness, excellent ingredients and simplicity.
1 1/2 pounds halibut fillets 3-4 tablespoons aji amarillo paste 1 red onion, finely julienned Juice of 10-12 fresh key limes 2 tablespoons of the white part of celery finely chopped 1 1/2 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic paste Salt and white pepper Pinch of white sugar 1/2 cup cold mussels stock
Garnish: 1 boiled corn Peruvian-style (see recipe) 12-16 steamed mussels on the shell
Blend the aji amarillo paste with the mussels stock. Reserve.
Cut the fish in bite size pieces and mix in a large bowl with the salt, white pepper and pinch of sugar. Add the celery, cilantro and garlic. Then pour the lemon juice and mix very well.
Add approximately 4 tablespoons of the aji amarillo mix. Taste to set the right amount of heat. To lessen the acid flavor of the lime, you can add one tablespoon of mussels stock. Add 1/3 of the onion slices. Mix again.
To serve, arrange the ceviche in the center of the plates. Top each portion with the rest of the onion and remaining marinade.
Garnish with the mussels and corn kernels.
Serves 4- 6.
Per Serving: 220 Calories; 4g Fat; 29g Protein; 25g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 47mg Cholesterol; 361mg Sodium.
CEVICHE DE CANGREJO NUEVO LATINO
(Crab Ceviche with Mango, Avocado and Jalapenos) When you prepare ceviche, you can let your imagination go wild, but always remember the "rules" to a good ceviche.
Here is a ceviche which is a great contrast in flavor and texture as well as color.
14 ounces fresh crab meat
Juice of 4 limes
2-3 tablespoons of aji amarillo paste
1/2 red onion, finely sliced
salt and pepper to taste
Topping:
2 mangos, finely diced
2 Haas avocados, finely diced
3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely chopped
Pinch of cumin
2 tablespoons of lime juice
Salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 red jalapeno peppers, finely diced
Put the crab meat in a stainless steal or glass bowl. Toss with lime juice, onion, aji paste, salt and pepper.
For the topping, use another bowl. Add all the ingredients to the bowl and stir carefully. To serve, spoon the crab mixture in the martini glasses 3/4 glass full. Top with the avocado and mango mixture and serve inmediately.
Serves 4-6.
Per Serving: 242 Calories; 11g Fat; 16g Protein; 28g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 59mg Cholesterol; 352mg Sodium.
CEVICHE MIXTO WITH ROCOTO SAUCE
(Halibut and Seafood Ceviche)
The cebicherias in Peru serve up a fabulous array of different ceviches in all shapes and sizes, because Peru has an enormous variety of fish and shellfish. The different types of seafood in this mixto give plenty of contrast in color, texture and flavor.
1 pound fresh halibut fillet
1/4 pound cleaned squid cut into rings
16 large shrimp tails, peeled and cleaned
1/4 pound cooked baby octopus, very finely sliced
Juice of 12-16 key limes
2 teaspoons garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, finely minced
1 inner celery rib, finely minced
1-2 teaspoon aji rocoto paste
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
salt and white pepper
Garnish: lettuce leaves
1 large Peruvian corn
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro
2 caramelized sweet potatoes
Fresh rocoto cut into rings (optional)
Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Blanch the squid rings for less than 1 minute. Transfer them to ice water to chill quickly. Blanch the shrimp and transfer to the ice water. Drain all the seafood.
Slice halibut into bite size pieces.
Put all seafood and fish in a big non-reactive container. Add garlic, ginger, celery and rocoto paste. Season with salt, pepper and cumin. Add key lime juice to almost cover and mix with 1/3 of the onion. Taste and "refresh " the ceviche.
To serve, line a serving tray with lettuce leaves, add the ceviche and top with the rest of the onions and the fresh cilantro.
Garnish with the corn and caramelized sweet potatoes. Serves 4-6.
Per Serving: 230 Calories; 3g Fat; 24g Protein; 33g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 77mg Cholesterol; 131mg Sodium.
Garnishes
CANCHA (Peruvian dried corn)
1 cup maiz cancha amarillo (corn for toasting)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
In a saucepan, put vegetable oil over moderate heat. Add cancha and cover. Cook, shaking pan almost constantly until the corn get a golden color and round shape, about 7-8 minutes.
Season well with salt and let it cool.
CAMOTES ACARAMELIZADOS (Caramelized sweet potatoes)
4 large sweet potatoes
3 cups of sugar
1 orange peel
1 cinnamon stick
Water
Peel and cut the potatoes in quarters. Put them in a medium pot to boil in water that is already hot. Once it comes to a boil, remove with a slotted spoon. Repeat the procedure 2 more times. When finished, return the potatoes to the pot. Add the sugar, orange peel, cinnamon stick and enough water to cover. Simmer until sweet potatoes are shiny and tender (adding more water if necessary).
Serves 4-6.
Per Serving: 485 Calories; trace Fat; 2g Protein; 123g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 13mg Sodium.
CLOCLO (Boiled Corn Peruvian-style)
2 fresh ears of corn
1 teaspoon sugar
Pinch of anise seeds
Juice of 1/2 key lime
Put corn in cold water and boil with a few seeds of anise, sugar and lime juice. Boil until tender, about 20-25 minutes. Drain and let corn cool. Cut into 1-inch thick rounds, or strip kernels from cob.
Serves 4-6.
Per Serving: 30 Calories; trace Fat; 1g Protein; 7g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 5mg Sodium.
MUSSELS STOCK
1 1/2 pounds fresh mussels
Extra virgin olive oil
1 celery stick chopped
1/2 large white onion, chopped
1/2 leek, white part chopped
1/2 carrot, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup white wine
Water
Discard any mussels that are not tightly closed. Remove beards if needed and rinse mussels under cold running water, to remove any grit. Drain.
In a medium sauce pan, saute the vegetables with garlic cloves for 2 minutes. Add white wine, bay leaf, and cook for 2-3 additional minutes. Add mussels, and water. Cover tightly and boil quickly over high heat. When the shells open (in about 5 minutes), turn the heat to medium, let simmer for 5 minutes more. Pass through a sieve and allow to cool.
TIRADITO DE PESCADO
(Peruvian Style Sashimi) This is the youngest member of the ceviche family and the one encouraging the most experimentation. Unlike ceviche, tiradito does not include onions, but the main difference is in the cut of the fish, which has most markedly been influenced by Nikkei cooks' treatment of fish.
1 pound skinned halibut fillets
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, finely diced
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
8 sprigs of fresh cilantro, finely chopped
Juice of 10-12 key limes
1/4 teaspoon garlic, finely minced
1/2 teaspoon red habanero chili, finely diced
1/2 teaspoon fresh rocoto, finely diced
1/2 cup cold mussels stock (optional)
Salt and white pepper to taste
3 tablespoons of ajinomoto or msg (optional)
Garnish: 2 tablespoons cilantro, finely diced
1 tablespoon fresh rocoto, finely diced
1 small caramelized potato, cut in quarters
4 small fresh butter lettuce leaves
Slice the fish into very fine slices and place in the serving dish, with the strips overlapping each other.
Place the chopped celery, coriander, rocoto, chili, lime juice, salt, pepper, garlic and ajinomoto in a medium bowl.
Mix gently with a whisk to let the vegetables juices "leak out." Let it rest for 10 minutes . Add 1/2 of the fish stock, mix well, taste and add more if necessary and mix again. Taste to check the right enhancement of the various flavors. Strain the lime mixture over the fish.
Decorate with the cilantro and rocoto and garnish with the caramelized potato and lettuce leaves.
Serves 4.
Per Serving: 234 Calories; 4g Fat; 27g Protein; 28g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 38mg Cholesterol; 116mg Sodium.
"Ceviche: Popular Latin American dish is becoming hot choice for Bay Area diners"
Oooooooooh and don't forget those key limes. It's ALL important.
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