Makes enough for 12 garnishes
Many of the Bloody Marys in Chapter 4 are made with Latin American ingredients like tomatillos and chiles, and skewers of ceviche make a dramatic as well as delicious garnish. Ceviche, pronounced say-VEE-chay, is the national dish of Peru and is also popular in Chile and other coastal areas of South America. While the fish remains raw it is acidulated so it appears to be cooked.
1 pound fresh, skinless thick white-fleshed fish fillets, such as snapper, halibut, or cod
1½ cups freshly squeezed lime juice
1 large shallot, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 to 2 jalapeño or serrano chiles, seeds and ribs removed, finely chopped
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
⅔ cup pitted green olives
Cut the fish into ¾-inch cubes and place them in a glass or stainless-steel mixing bowl along with the lime juice, shallot, and garlic. Stir well, and marinate the fish for 4 hours, or until a cube of fish looks cooked and is no longer translucent when broken apart.
Drain the fish in a colander, and return it to the mixing bowl. Stir in the chiles, cilantro, orange juice, and oil, and season with salt and black pepper to taste. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, and up to 6 hours. To serve, spear a few fish cubes onto one end of a bamboo skewer alternating with a few olives, and insert it into the Bloody Mary so that the cubes are visible.
Note: It’s important to drain the fish from the lime juice after 4 hours or it will become too acidic.
Variation: Substitute sea scallops, cut in half or into quarters depending on their size, for the fish.