CEVICHE

While I am planning tonight's (I am at Arube in my quest for World Domination) , I thought I would write about a dish that my wife requests on a weekly basis...ceviche. This is an easy dish to prepare.

Ceviche is a fish dish that is "cooked" in lime juice. We discovered this a couple of years ago in a Cuban restaurant, in Baltimore, during Restaurant Week. The use of cilantro causes the taste buds to shout for joy! But, beware...if ever you give them a taste, they will never leave you alone unless you give them their food fix on a regular basis...and nothing else will quell the storming of your mouth.

Begin by deciding on the fish you wish to use. You want a firm fleshed fish, as a softy will turn to mush. This can be halibut, swordfish, mahi-mahi, shark...to name a few. I use a pound of fish to feed 2. Buy 3 limes, 2 ripe avocados, some pitted green olives without pimento, 1 or 2 tomatillos, a sweet onion, fresh cilantro,and a jalapeno pepper. Cube the fish into 1/2 to 1 inch cubes. Put this in a bowl and squeeze the juice from the limes over it. It helps if you apply pressure to the limes and rolling them over a hard surface before hand. The fish will marinate about half an hour. Toss frequently. Sprinkle some sea salt onto the fish before using the lime juice. Meanwhile, chop the remainder of the ingredients into very small cubes. After the fish marinates, and looks white and "cooked", mix it with the remainder of the ingredients. This can be eaten immediately, or refrigerated.

My personal favorite is is swordfish ceviche. I also find shark a fine substitute, at half the price. I have eaten tuna ceviche, and will use halibut from time to time. While salmon is a firm fleshed fish, I have never used it for this recipe. Feel free to experiment, and tell me about the results via "comments".

CEVICHE:

1 LB. Firm Fleshed Fish
1 tsp. Kosher Salt
Juice of 3 Limes
2 Ripe Avocados, peeled, pitted and diced
3/4 cup Green Olives, sliced
1/2 cup Tomatillos, diced
1/4 cup Onion, very finely chopped
1/4 cup Fresh Cilantro Leaves
1 Jalapeno Pepper, seeded and diced
2 tablespoons Olive Oil