After a hard day on the trail, or seeing the sights, or just idly sitting around translating Latin, you could probably use a refreshing snack. What better than ceviche ("Say-Vee-Chay")and a cold beer? After all, ducks LOVE fish. ...and beer.
The ideal place is the Pacific port of Buenaventura, which is just across the Cordillera Occidental range of the Andes mountains, west of Cali. It`s only 125 kilometers away, but it takes 2 1/2 hours to drive there. Yikes! You could go, but we didn`t. We let the sea come to us! A local restaurant about a block away from the hotel featured delicious ceviche.
The following recipe is simple, yet tasty. It also makes enough to feed a small army, so scale it back. (This recipe is enough for four to six people.) Rick Bayless and that pesky Mexican crowd may put ketchup and olives and such in their ceviche, but WE know better. ...right?
- 1 lb. fresh, skinless, filleted ocean fish with white flesh, such as snapper, sea bass, halibut, or corvina (or use 1/2 pound fish and 1/2 pound small to medium shrimp, peeled and de-veined) ...should be as fresh as is available.
1-1/2 cups lime juice
1 medium white onion, chopped into 1/4 inch pieces
1 to 2 Serrano pepper, or 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
Sprinkle of fresh cilantro
1 garlic clove, crushed (optional)
Salt to taste (1/4 tsp or less)
Lettuce garnish (optional)
Drain off the lime juice. Add the chopped onion, peppers, cilantro, garlic, and salt. Toss. Chill in refrigerator if not served immediately. Serve in a martini glass or small bowl, somewhere between cold and room temperature, garnished with lettuce if desired, with saltine crackers.