THREE YEARS AGO, I wouldn’t have stumped for the virtues of making ceviche—that would be raw (or at least citrus-cured) fish—at home.
Yes, combining citrus juice with seafood and letting it sit does “cook” the protein in a way, but I wasn’t about to take any risks with my supermarket’s subpar seafood counter.
Then came the pandemic and the rise of direct-to-consumer selling and, well, I could suddenly get my hands on high-quality fish and didn’t have to blow a good chunk of my paycheck to do it. Some guys baked sourdough loaves through Covid; I whipped up bowls of super-fresh, restaurant-worthy ceviche.
Then my hobby turned into an obsession. When the worst of the pandemic was over, I flew to Miami, the ceviche capital of this country. There I ate and I learned from chefs considered to be the modern masters of the dish.
Their preparations are straightforward, take almost no time, and have so much going on in terms of texture and flavor that—fair warning—you might soon find yourself obsessed, too.
Simple Ceviche
This is the foundational recipe I cobbled together and, eventually, perfected during Covid. Seven ingredients. Hardly any work. All good.
What You’ll Need:
½ lb skinless, boneless firm whitefish (grouper, cod, snapper), medium diced
½ lb large, dry-packed scallops, diced
8 small potatoes, boiled, cooled, and diced
¼ medium red onion, thinly sliced, rinsed under cold water, patted dry
Juice of 1 lime
Juice of ¼ medium orange
Olive oil, for drizzling
How to Make It:
1. Place the fish and scallops on a large plate. Season lightly with salt, toss, and let sit for 5 minutes to draw out moisture and tighten the flesh. Pat dry with a
paper towel. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, toss the potatoes and onion. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Remove the seafood from the fridge. Add it to a medium bowl; toss with the lime and orange juices. Allow to sit until the seafood is slightly opaque, about 5 minutes. Add the onion and potatoes and toss well. Drizzle with olive oil and top with flaky sea salt. Feeds 4
Cebiche Carretillero
This feast features homemade “leche de tigre,” a marinade for Peruvian ceviche. Executive chef Diego Oka of Miami’s La Mar shared the recipe.
What You’ll Need:
½ cup lime juice (6 to 8 limes)
¼ cup fish or seafood stock
1¼ lb skinless, boneless firm whitefish, small diced
1 medium celery stalk, diced
1 Tbsp + ¼ cup red onion, minced
Small handful cilantro stems, chopped
½ rocoto pepper (Scotch bonnet and Fresno peppers also work)
8 cooked shrimp, small diced
1 cooked octopus tentacle (optional; ask a sushi bar to sell you one), small diced
1 Tbsp evaporated milk
Cilantro, for garnish
How to Make It:
1. In a blender or food processor, add the lime juice, stock, ¼ lb fish, half the celery, 1 Tbsp red onion, cilantro stems, rocoto pepper, 1 tsp salt, and 1 ice cube. Blend till smooth.
2. In a large serving bowl, combine the shrimp, octopus, remaining fish, remaining celery, remaining red onion, evaporated milk, and lime juice mixture. Mix well and adjust to taste with additional salt and/or lime juice. Garnish with cilantro and serve. Feeds 8
Habanero Sweet Potato Ceviche
Nando Chang, chef/co-owner of Miami’s Itamae, gave me this lip-tingly, powerfully aromatic, spicy flavor-and-texture adventure.
What You’ll Need:
1 cup orange juice
1 cinnamon stick
1 clove
3 Tbsp sugar
1 small Japanese (or American) sweet potato
¼ cup fresh lime juice (3 to 4 limes)
1 garlic clove, minced
½ habanero, minced
½ lb skinless, boneless firm whitefish (grouper, cod, snapper), medium diced
¼ cup corn kernels
Thinly sliced red onion, corn nuts, olive oil, and cilantro, for garnish
How to Make It:
1. Preheat your oven to 375°F. In a cast-iron pan, add the orange juice, cinnamon stick, clove, and sugar. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the sweet potato, transfer the pan to the oven, and roast until fork tender, about 20 minutes. Wearing oven mitts, remove the pan from the oven; transfer the sweet potato to a cutting board. When cool, peel and medium dice.
2. In a small bowl, mix the lime juice, garlic, habanero, and a big pinch of salt until the salt dissolves.
3. Add the fish to a medium serving bowl, pour over the lime juice mixture, and stir well. Top with the sweet potato and corn and add the red onion, corn nuts, olive oil, cilantro, salt, and pepper. Feeds 4
A version of this article originally appeared in the May/June 2023 issue of Men's Health.
