A gourmet sea food recipe with Mahi Mahi fish for a lazy Sunday brunch

A nice Ceviche can elevate a home-made Sunday brunch

I have never been great with the change in seasons , I am not only talking about the weather. I am afraid of change, change makes me squirm, my palms sweat and leaves me blank. It’s ironic really, because I am never satisfied with the status quo, I am always plotting the next , I am hardly ever present in the present, if you know what I mean. I think and I think a lot when a change is presented to me and even if it’s of my own doing, I research, I consider all possibilities and then I leap, albeit reluctantly, but once I am in it , I put everything I have, I give in my whole and my soul. The process is long and arduous. But it’s worth it.

When I am going through major changes I find it easy to take easy with my food, and I also turn to food for solace. If you are looking for an easy seafood recipes which is impressive too then this is it. I had last made it for a Sunday brunch for a Lébu Supper & it perfectly complemented everything.

As it is often the case the dish was inspired by a memory of a simpler time when the only change I had to worry about was which corner of the house should I play in. Our ancestral home had a pond behind the house which is covered with water hyacinths, many a summer was spent to try and not fall in that pond but the temptation was too real. This dish is inspired by that memory. This dish is bold & beautiful, a new take on the classic Peruvian dish, this Ceviche (raw fish cured & marinated with lemon & other spices) is rolled in a cucumber roll and floats on a pond (reduction) made of tart & sour orange juice & chilli

Why I used Mahi Mahi is simple, after trying with some other fishes like Bhetki, I felt Bhetki is best left for a nice fish fry. Mahi Mahi is an extremely versatile fish and takes on spices or cooking techniques very easily. Since a ceviche, means the fish is ‘cured’ and not cooked on heat, the texture of the fish had to be somewhat firm. Oily fishes don’t work out. With Mahi Mahi , this ceviche is a quick & super delicious dish you can make it as a first course for a Sunday brunch crowd. Just marinate the fish in lime juice & other spices and keep it aside. Make some pickled onions separately. Just mix in a little bit of the marinated fish & pickled onions and rollit in thin cucumber slices,pour in a little bit of the orange juice & chilli and you have a healthy seafood recipe which your friends will talk about long after the brunch.

It goes really well with white wine or a good white wine Sangria. As people start coming, just serve it on the table for people to dig in with their forks as they have the first few drinks before you bring out the main food. The ceviche rolled in cucumber is supper easy for people to eat.

What is Ceviché?:

Ceviche is , simply put, it is a primarily a South American dish of raw fish or marinated seafood mostly with lime juice other citrus agents. In addition to adding flavor, the citric acid causes the proteins in the seafood to become denatured. Be sure to buy Mahi Mahi from a good source, I find it best to buy it from www.liscious.com. Order the fish the day before and make the dish just a couple of hours before serving it, remember you should make it fresh.

Recipe:

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

For marinating the Fish

½ KG Mahi Mahi boneless cubes. Cut this in to smaller cubes preferably 1 inch or bite sized.I ordered it from liscious.com It’s easier to buy online as it de-boned and cleaned & the quality is simply great

1 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
2-3 small bird eye chillies chopped
4-5 pieces of Jalapenos chopped
1/2-inch pieces ginger, peeled and minced or grated
½ bunch cilantro or coriander chopped
4 tablespoons olive oil
Salt, to taste

For the Pickled onions to serve it with (Make this a night before so that the flavours are seeped in)

Less than ½ kg red onions, thinly sliced
1 cup white vinegar
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon roughly chopped cumin seeds
1 teaspoon dried oregano
4 cloves garlic, sliced
2 tablespoons sugar
1 ½ teaspoons salt

For the Onion & Chilli reduction

1 cup Orange juice
2-3 chillies
Jaggery powder /sugar as per taste

For cucumber roll ups (you can serve the ceviché as is but the cucumber roll ups will be a nice touch for a party & the cool crunchy cucumber pairs really well with the sweet, sour, spicy fish)

Fresh fat cucumbers, peeled with a peeler (after removing the skin) to form long strips

Method:

For making the pickled onions:

Put the onions in a saucepan and pour in enough water to cover, put it on the stove , bring to a boil and set aside
Combine all remaining ingredients and bring to a boil, simmer for 10 minutes , add the onions , simmer for another 10 minutes , remove from stove and keep it in the refrigerator after it cools down

For making the main Ceviché

In a large bowl combine the Mahi Mahi fish cubes and enough lime juice to cover it completely, mix and coat the fish with lime juice well & keep aside for at least 20 minutes. The pink flesh should turn completely white & soft
Drain the lime juice and combine rest of the ingredients meant for the ceviché, mix well, add back the lime juice bit by bit , as per taste, make sure it’s not too sour. Add the rest of the ingredients & stir gently to combine, chill it in the refrigerator till ready to serve

For making the orange & chilli reduction

Put the Store bought orange juice in a saucepan, add the chillies (make sure it’s not too hot) , add in jaggery powder or sugar as per taste bring to a boil & cool down

To serve:

Put a little bit of the Ceviché & pickled onion in a cucumber and roll it up (use a toothpick if necessary to close), place it standing up on the plate you serving or lay it down if you have used a toothpick to hold. Sprinkle a little bit of the orange juice reduction and serve

LÉBU RECIPES FOR THE CURIOUS COOK

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