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Raw white fish (sea bream, sea bass or cod) in Peruvian ceviche with peach or nectarine. A delight as an aperitif glass, as a starter or why not as a main course for a light summer meal.
Do you like raw fish and have you ever made ceviche? It’s super simple and quick, and very fresh. Here I explain the difference between tartare, carpaccio and ceviche, and give you advice and variations to delight your guests with this raw fish dish.
Difference between tartare, carpaccio or ceviche
These three dishes designate preparations based on raw food, in this case raw fish but the cutting of the fish differs.
The tartar
As with the beef tartare, the fish is chopped more or less finely, either by machine or with a knife. When the tartare is made with fish, we tend to see recipes with salmon (tartar that I like to garnish with pomegranate, or contrast the textures with green apple).
The carpaccio
There, more or less thin slices are made. The thinner the slices, the less time the marinade needs to be added before serving, as the lemon will cook the fish.
Peruvian ceviche
This South American specialty proposes larger pieces of fish about 1 centimeter on a side. No need to make perfect cubes, but you get the idea, cut your fish fillet into pieces or strips about 1 cm thick.
Smoked fish
The technique is different for smoked fish which is not “cooked” lightly with lemon juice but cooked with salt. This is the case for smoked salmon which can very easily be made at home, or gravlax which I prepare with beetroot which adds flavor and a magnificent pink color.
Should you freeze fish before eating it raw?
Ideally yes. Personally, I always freeze fish for at least 48 hours if I have to eat it raw.
For what ? It’s uA habit that comes to me from the time I lived in Japan. The Japanese actually always freeze the fish that will be used to make sushi, this is to avoid any health risk.
There may be mini-worms in raw fish, and these parasites can make you sick. Freezing kills these parasites. I am giving you a fairly comprehensive article to read, not to scare you because you will see that the risks are low, but for your information.
So freeze your fish for 48 hours and let it thaw, still wrapped, for 24 hours in the refrigerator.
Which fish to use?
Here cooked with royal sea bream, you can use different white-fleshed fish. You can replace the sea bream with sea bass, cod, lean, pike perch…
It can also be quite good with scallops.
Cut your fish fillets into cubes or strips one centimeter thick and arrange them in a large, slightly hollow plate.
Fruit and herb variations
For fruit, I offer you here a recipe that I prepared in the middle of the summer season with peaches and a few currants. Here are some variations:
- White peach or yellow peach, white nectarine or yellow nectarine, even vine peach.
- Apricots
- Exotic fruits: mango or passion fruit
- Citrus : grapefruit or orange
Note that you can absolutely make this recipe without fruit.
As for fresh herbs which will flavor your marinade and which you will sprinkle on your dish, I opt for coriander which I love, but I know that not everyone likes it and you can’t always find fresh one. Besides, do you know that there are genetic reasons why some people don’t like coriander? You can replace the coriander with flat-leaf parsley, dill, chives, mint…
Prepare the marinade in advance so that it is very tasty.
I opt for a lime and yellow mix, but you can adapt it with either depending on what you find. Before squeezing the juice, remove the zest from the lime using a microplane grater or make very fine zests, this will flavor the marinade even more and will make a nice decoration for serving.
Mix the olive oil with the lemon juice and half the lime zest as well as half the chopped herbs. You can prepare this marinade in advance, this will allow the flavors to intensify. Do not add salt or pepper yet.
Marinating time depends on whether you like your fish still quite raw or whether you prefer the marinade to cook the flesh more. I suggest you 1 hour if you want the lemon to cook the fish flesh without firming it up, or less, 30 minutes (or even 15!) if you like the fish to remain raw but just be flavored by the marinade.
If in doubt, start with 30 minutes, look at the appearance and taste, to see if you want to extend to 1 hour.
White fish ceviche with peach
Raw white fish (sea bream, sea bass or cod) in Peruvian ceviche with peach or nectarine. A delight as an aperitif glass, as a starter or why not as a main course for a light summer meal.
To prevent sleep
Prepare the marinade and toppings
Prepare the fish and fruit
30 minutes to 1 hour before eating
- Preferably use fish that you have frozen for 48 hoursI explain why in the article.
- For the fishyou have the choice between several white fish: sea bream, sea bass, cod, pikeperch, lean…
- Vary the pleasures for fruit for peaches you have the choice of white peach or yellow peach, white nectarine or yellow nectarine or even vine peach. Or according to the season or desires: apricots, exotic fruits like mango or passion fruit…
- Idem for fresh herbscoriander can be replaced by flat-leaf parsley, dill, chives, for example.
- Dress up in a large dish to share or in individual glasses or cups.
Enjoy your food !
Enjoy