White Perch Ceviche

thelivecanary

Eight Pointer
Go to the coastal rivers and catch some spawning white perch. Gill and gut them as soon as possible to avoid any parasite issues and preserve quality, then pack on ice, not in the ice.

Filet and remove bones to make about a pound of filets, boneless. Cut into 1/4 chunks.

Dice 5 jalapenos
Mince 1 or 2 habaneros
Dice two tomatoes
Dice 2 abacados
Dice one small red onion
Chop a grip of cilantro to taste

Combine all the veggie and the diced fish. Squeeze in five to seven limes so you get the lime all over the chopped items. If you have really juicy limes you won't need as many. Then set the bowl of ceviche on a ice bed in the fridge and stir every ten minutes for an hour. The fish cubes should become opaque or white in color...aka acid cooked from the limes. Adjust salt and pepper throughout the hour, don't add to much salt.

Serve with the $2 bag of Santita tortilla chips. Feeds six or two really hungry people.

When the bowl is empty add the liquor to a shot of vodka or tequila for delicious hangover cure or late night snack.
 

thelivecanary

Eight Pointer
All fish can have parasites in the gut, as they sit dead those parasites move out of the gut into the flesh as temps rise. "Sushi grade" fish is that which is handled to deal with the parasites, one way is to remove gills and guts as quickly as possible the other being freezing. (I use the term sushi grade loosely, which you'll understand by reading the article below) I don't have a freezer that gets cold enough so I keep my fish on ice from the time it leaves the water to the time it hits the cutting board so it's kept below 40 degrees. This inhibits those parasites from traveling to the flesh of the fish. I don't ceviche freshwater fish, ever. The great part about white perch in the Roanoke is that their sound fish living in saltwater. As I always stress do your homework and you can have some seriously good eats and do so safely. Read the article below for a full explanation.

 
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