Frontera Grill’s Now-Classic Ceviche

We might not have beach weather in the soggy June of late. Yet it’s not too early to think about the beach. Slowly, the thoughts of seafood by the water start creeping in…. A crab salad taco. A tuna ceviche. And one more: a Frontera Grill’s now-classic ceviche. This is a dish that has been on the menu at Rick Bayless’s award-winning Frontera Grill for over two decades.

The sway of fresh fish infused with flavors of Mexican street food (lime, chiles, onion, cilantro) is undeniable. What can be better, especially in the summer months? The ceviche finished to the consistency of soft texture is perfect for piling on crunchy tortilla chips — for a crowd.

Rick Bayless tells us that “sashimi-quality” skinless meaty ocean fish fillet, such as halibut, snapper and bass are great choices. That is a tall order. Nonetheless, I manage to get some decent halibut. Then I proceed to prepare the halibut ceviche.

The recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups of lime juice. I use three limes and make about a 1/2 cup of juice. Combine that with the fish and onion, and let it marinate in the fridge until the fish is “cooked.” Still I find the acidity level too much for one pound of halibut. Therefore, I adjust the recipe to use about 1/3 cup of lime juice to tone it down.

While the fish is marinating, prepare the vegetable mix consisted of: hot green chiles, green olives, tomatoes, cilantro and olive oil. When it’s time to serve, combine the fish with the vegetable mix. Season the ceviche combo and serve it with some sturdy tortilla chips.

Now, you have a choice to eat it with your hands or with forks. On the beach: mostly hands.

Print Recipe

Frontera Grill’s Now-Classic Ceviche

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• 1 pound “sashimi-quality” skinless meaty ocean fish fillet (halibut, snapper and bass are great choices), cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• About 1/3 cups fresh lime juice
• 1 small white onion, chopped into 1/4-inch pieces
• Hot green chiles to taste (roughly 2 or 3 serranos or 1 large jalapeño), stemmed and roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup green olives, preferably manzanillos
• 1 large (about 10-ounces) ripe tomato, cored, seeded (if you wish) and cut into 1/4-inch pieces OR 1/4 cup (lightly packed, about 1 ounce) soft sundried tomatoes, chopped into 1/8-inch pieces
• 1/4 small jicama, peeled and chopped into 1/4-inch pieces (optional, but suggested if using sundried tomatoes)
• 1/4 cup (loosely packed) chopped fresh cilantro (thick bottom stems cut off)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, preferably extra-virgin
• Salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• About 16 ounces of sturdy tortilla chips or 3- to 4-inch tostadas (preferably chips or tostadas from a local tortillería), for serving

Instructions

1

"Cook” the fish in the lime juice. In a large stainless steel or glass bowl, combine the fish, lime juice and onion. The fish should float freely in the juice; if not, add a little more. Cover and refrigerate until the fish is as “done” as you like: An hour or so for medium-rare, 3 to 4 hours for “cooked” all the way through. Tip off the lime juice—sad to say that it’s fishy tasting at this point and can’t be easily used for any other preparation.

2

Flavor the ceviche. In a mini food processor, process the green chile and olives until finely chopped (or finely chopped by hand). Add to the fish along with the tomato, optional jícama, cilantro and olive oil. Stir well, then season with salt (usually about a scant teaspoon) and sugar. Refrigerate until ready to serve—preferably no longer than an hour or two.

3

Working Ahead: The fish can be marinated in lime and completely drained (even if you’re going to add back some of the juice) early in the day you’re going to serve; cover tightly and refrigerate. All the vegetables and the cilantro can be prepped, mixed, covered and refrigerated early in the day, too. Mix and season the ceviche within two hours of serving; keep it refrigerated until the last moment.