Chinese Style Ceviche

Chill fish in marinade 4 or more hours; drain. Combine fish with remaining ingredients. *Garnish with cilantro or parsley sprigs, thin sliced lime.

Serve in lacquered bowls, if available, with chopsticks – or in other attractive way. *Another nice garnish is whole spears of chives laid across the top of each serving.

Here are a few interesting things to know about preparing this dish:

Some folks combine lime juice with lemon juice to more closely approximate the taste of the Mexican “limon”. A listener offered the information last week that the Mexican restaurant in which she worked, mixed equal parts lemon and lime juices and Chablis wine for the marinade. Use only fresh juice (never bottled) however you prepare it.

A mixture of fish may be used, or only one kind. Salmon may be used; sliced sea scallops (the big kind) may be used; there is disagreement about the desirability of the texture of fresh tuna when marinated in citrus; yellowtail (sushi quality) works, with the same caveat; in any instance, the fish must be absolutely fresh and of the highest quality. Ocean fish is considered to be “safer” to eat raw than fresh water fish.

Fish may be grilled before making an un-traditional version of ceviche (use firmest fish) and when shrimp or rock shrimp are added, they are very gently