Question

I want to make ceviche, but I don’t trust the lime juice to safely “cook” the fish or seafood. How can I lightly cook or bake the fish and seafood in advance without ruining the dish?

Answer 1

If you prefer to lightly cook or pre-cook the fish and seafood before making ceviche, you can do so without compromising the dish's flavor and texture. Here's a method to partially cook the fish and seafood while still retaining the essence of a traditional ceviche:

1. Poaching or Steaming: Poaching or steaming the fish and seafood is a gentle cooking method that will partially cook the proteins without overcooking them. To do this, follow these steps:

   a. Cut the fish and seafood into small, bite-sized pieces. b. In a pot, bring water or a mixture of water and broth to a simmer. You can add some aromatic ingredients like herbs, garlic, or onions to infuse flavor into the fish. c. Carefully place the fish and seafood into the simmering liquid. Make sure they are fully submerged. d. Cook for a short time, just until the edges of the fish turn opaque. This should only take a few minutes, depending on the thickness of the pieces.

2. Blanching: Blanching is another method to lightly cook the fish and seafood. It involves briefly immersing them in boiling water and then rapidly cooling them down. Here's how you can do it:

   a. Prepare a pot of boiling water. b. Add the fish and seafood to the boiling water and let them cook for about 1-2 minutes. c. Quickly remove the fish and seafood from the boiling water and immediately plunge them into an ice water bath to stop the cooking process.

After partially cooking the fish and seafood using either the poaching or blanching method, you can proceed with making the ceviche following these steps:

1. Drain the partially cooked fish and seafood and pat them dry with paper towels.

2. Marinate the fish and seafood in freshly squeezed lime juice along with your desired seasonings, such as chopped onions, tomatoes, cilantro, and any additional spices you like. Let the mixture marinate in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to 1 hour, stirring occasionally to ensure even distribution of the flavors.

3. As the fish and seafood marinate in the lime juice, they will continue to "cook" and firm up, resulting in the characteristic texture of ceviche.

4. Once the fish and seafood are adequately "cooked" in the lime juice, you can serve the ceviche with tortilla chips, tostadas, or as a topping for salads.

By using this method, you can have the assurance of partially cooked fish and seafood while still enjoying the fresh and vibrant flavors of ceviche.