I have been on a ceviche kick the last few weeks. I had never heard of ceviche until I moved to NYC and had a Peruvian version served at a party. It was always something I wanted to make and thought it some magical recipe the way people spoke of it.
When I was a kid, my mother made an Asian influenced version from a recipe she had received from a friend of hers from Guam. I never equated the two with one another until I came across my mother’s recipe box and found her recipe for “Sashimi” and then compared it to some of the ceviche recipes I had researched. It seems several areas of the world make their own version of this dish based on the local produce.
As I tried different versions, I found the lime juice tended to over power the fish with that citric tangy taste…. but what to balance it out with…. At that point, mango popped into my head. I didn’t bother looking up versions with mang0 – I would wing it!
Ingredients
Tuna Ceviche with Mango and Plantain chips
4oz of super-fresh yellowfin tuna
1/3 – 1/2 Mango
1/2 – 1 whole serrano or jalepeno chiles, seeded and finely chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
1 -2 tablespoons finely minced red onion
1 lime, freshly squeezed juice (approx 3 tablespoons)
extra-virgin olive oil equal to the amount of lime juice obtained
Salt and pepper to taste
Cut the tuna into 1/2 inch dices. Peel and cut the mango into the same size dice. Place tuna and mango in a glass bowl. Add all the other ingredients, tossing them with a rubber spatula until thoroughly mixed. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 – 60 minutes. Taste and add more seasoning if needed.
Serve with a side of plantain chips. Serves 2 people.
Plantain Chips
1 green plantain, peeled
sea salt
water
canola and peanut oil
Slice plantain with a vegetable peeler. Place sliced plantains in a shallow dish with salted water and let it sit for 15 – 20 minutes. Slices will be pliable – remove them and drain individual slices on paper towel and pat dry.
In a fry pan, heat combination of canola and peanut oil over medium high heat. When the oil begins to move and “dance”, it is ready.
Place several slices in oil, flipping a few times. Chips are done when they are golden and the “sizzling” around them diminishes. Remove and drain on paper towel. Repeat with remaining slices until all are fried.
Salt if necessary – I find they are just right from soaking in the salted water.
plantains frying in oil
