Posts Tagged With: ceviche

I’ve been asked quite often how the food is while in Costa Rica. Although we’ve done our fair share of eating at different places – I’ve used the trip as an opportunity to educate myself on Costa Rican cuisine. Now I haven’t fried up any plantains as of yet, but I have made some gallo pinto, chorizo criollo, huevos rancheros, and tilapia tacos – much to Meghan and Brian’s delight. Another item that’s a local favorite that I’ve made is ceviche.

Popular in South and Central American countries, ceviche is a blend of white fish, other seafood delicacies such as shrimp, squid, tuna, and oysters marinated for 3-6 hours in lime or lemon juice. The juice marinade interacts with the proteins in the fish and causes them to appear cooked, or denatured. Adding other items to the marinade such as garlic, onion, minced red pepper, cilantro, salt, and chili peppers helps create a dish similar to pico de gallo, however rich in fresh seafood and fish instead of tomatoes.

I’ve included my recipe for ceviche bruschetta, pictured below.

What you’ll need:

• 1-1.5 lbs fresh (or frozen) tilapia
• 1/2 medium red bell pepper
• 1/2 medium yellow bell pepper
• 1/2 medium onion
• juice of 4-5 lemons (depending on size)
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro – torn, not minced
• 1 bunch fresh parsely
• 2 cloves garlic – minced
• 1 avocado, halved and sliced
• 1 baguette
• italian spices
• olive oil & sea salt

Directions:

1. Cut the fish into bite size cubes, no more than 1/4″ x 1/4″
2. Mince the onion and bell peppers into bite sized pieces
3. Mix onion, garlic, minced peppers, and fish into a bowl
4. Add pinch of sea salt
5. Add torn pieces of cilantro to the bowl; mix together
6. Cover entire mixture with lime juice
7. Let marinate in the refrigerator for 3-6 hours
8. When fish is nearly marinated, cut baguette into 1/4″ (or thinner) slices
9. Brush with olive oil – both sides
10. Coat slices with seasons to taste, such as oregano or garlic
11. Arrange pieces on baking sheet – bake at 450 for 5-6 minutes
12. When bread starts to turn golden brown, remove from the oven
13. Arrange bread on plate, arrange cerviche off to the site
14. Garnish with avocado and lime wedges

Enjoy – now you can taste a bit of Costa Rica at home.
Make sure to serve with margaritas, Corona, or Pilsen.

Ceviche Bruschetta del Costa Rica

As requested by our friends Ed and Linda, we’ll be posting a video tomorrow of a walk through Tamarindo – and what the neighborhoods look like.

Pura Vida amigos.