You simply cannot go cruising without a good ceviche recipe…it is the penance you do for having JUST killed a fish…the highest use of the freshest seafood.  The best ceviche I ever had was on a deep-sea fishing trip in Mexico; we landed a 300-pound tuna and ate it every way we could think of for a week, the best of all being the ceviche made on board within minutes of starting to cut the fish up, with nothing but fish, lime juice and a few seasoning vegetables.  Here’s how to make that kind of culinary magic happen………

If you don’t have the luxury of landing your own marine bounty today, start at the fish market–our local is Annapolis Seafood, near our marina.  You want a pound for 4-6 people, depending on whether they are making it a main course or an appetizer, of a firm, very fresh  fish.  Ask your fishmonger what is freshest; even mention ceviche, as I did at Annapolis Seafood, and they’ll put you onto the right thing (for us, tonight, flounder).

Your ingredients: one pound fish; two or three limes, salt, two or three avocados, three to four tomatillos, green olives, red or white onion, a jalapeno, a handful of cilantro, and olive oil.

Dice the fish to about 1/2 inch bites and toss with about a teaspoon of salt.  Juice three tablespoons of lime juice over fish and toss.  Marinate about 30 minutes, until fish becomes more opaque.  This post highlights a couple of my favorite galley-tools, one of which is this hand-powered quick citrus juicer that I found in the bartending section of a kitchen store; downside, you get seeds, but you’re boating…spit them over the transom.  Upside it’s quick to use, quick to clean up, and you get ALL the innards of the fruit that you do want.

While the fish is marinating (you can dump things on top, as long as you can see the fish to watch it become opaque), chop 1/4 cup onion and the jalapeno very finely — if you have a hand-crank food processor or ulu and bowl, that’s the way to go.

Add leaves from a handful of cilantro, 3/4 cup green olives sliced, diced tomatillos and avocado.

Add two tablespoons of olive oil and salt to taste, though for me the salt on the fish at the start is enough, together with that on the corn chips that you serve it with.

Serve with corn chips, beer, and a beautiful sunset.