Classic Ceviche

Total Time: 4 hrs 30 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 4 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 1 lb fresh skinless red snapper fillets or 1 lb bass fillets or 1 lb halibut fillets or 1 lb other ocean fish fillet, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1 1/2 cups fresh lime juice
• 1 medium onion, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 medium tomatoes (about 1 pound) or 2 large tomatoes, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 pound)
• 1 -3 fresh hot green chili pepper, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped (2 to 3 serranos or 1 to 2 jalapenos)
• 1/3 cup chopped cilantro, plus a few leaves for garnish
• 1/3 cup chopped pitted green olives (manzanillos for a typical mexican flavor)
• 1 -2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (optional)
• salt
• 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice or 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 2 small avocados, peeled, pitted and diced
• tostadas, tortilla chips or saltine crackers, for serving

Recipe

• 1 in a 1 1/2-quart glass or stainless steel bowl, combine the fish, lime juice and onion. use enough juice to cover the fish and allow it to float freely; too little juice means unevenly "cooked" fish. cover and refrigerate for about 4 hours, until a cube of fish no longer looks raw when broken open. drain in a colander.
• 2 in a large bowl, mix together the tomatoes, green chiles, cilantro, olives and optional olive oil. stir in the fish and season with salt, usually about 1/2 teaspoon. add the orange juice or sugar. cover and refrigerate if not serving immediately. just before serving, gently stir in the diced avocado.
• 3 make ahead working ahead: the fish may be marinated a day in advance; after about 4 hours, when the fish is "cooked," drain it so that it will not become too tangy. for the freshest flavor, add the flavorings to the fish no more than a couple of hours before serving.