Terra Travels

Passport & Plate - Oaxaca Ceviche with Homemade Tortilla Chips

Mexico | Friday, March 6, 2015 | 5 photos

Ingredients
INGREDIENTS

TORTILLA CHIPS
1 and 1/2 cup of corn flour
1 and 1/2 cup of white plain flour
1/2 tsp of salt
1 and 1/4 cup of warm water
3 tsp of sunflower oil
2 cups of Sunflower Oil for deep-fry

CEVICHE
400g Whole Sea Bass (any white meat fish can be used)
3 Limes juice
2 Fresh Plum Tomatoes
1/2 Red Onion
1/3 Cucumber
1 Red Chilli
70g of fresh coriander
1/2 Avocado
Olive oil
Salt

 

How to prepare this recipe
LET'S START WITH THE TORTILLA MIX
Mesure 1 cup and 1/2 of corn flour, and 1 cup and 1/2 of white plain flour. Mix them together into a large bowl then add a pinch of salt. Add 1 cup and 1/4 of warm water then start to mix gently. Once the mixture stick together add 3 tsp of sunflower oil scraping all the mixture at the bottom and the sides.
The tortilla dough should looks quite wet, if it gets to dry it will break when you roll it. You can still add a bit of water or flour to correct it.
Leave the mixture rest for about 15 min.

IN THE MEANWHILE,
Dice the Sea Bass fillets, place into a bowl, cover it with the juice of 3 limes previously squeezed, add a generous pinch of salt and rest in the fridge for half an hour.
Dice tomatoes, cucumber, onion, red chilli and finely chop coriander keeping them separate in different containers.

READY TO MESS UP THE KITCHEN...
Divide the tortillas mixture into 3 inches diameter balls, and preheat an heavy skillet at medium heat.
Now, sprinkle some white flour on the working table. With a well floured rolling pin thinly roll the tortilla giving them a round shape. Use a generous amount of flour as the dough it could be sticky.
Cook them onto the skillet for 30 sec each side until they will start to "puff". It's important to don't colour it to much otherwise they will get to dry. Once they are cooked place it into a container covered by a table cloth which will keep them soft and warm.
Preheat a pot with frying oil at 180°C, start to cut the tortillas in wedges (I've got 10 out of each) and deep-fry them until get coloured.

MIXING, COMBINING, ENJOY IT!
Delicately drain the fish from its juice then mix it to the vegetables previously chopped adding olive oil and seasoning.
Serve it into a bowl plate, add some chunks of avocado, few coriander leaves as garnish and tortilla chips aside.

 

The story behind this recipe
During a lone road trip started from the Caribbean coast passing to mountains, forests, waterfalls, and Maya ruins I spent some of the best moments of my life tasting everything I could try from the local communities.
Somewhere in the Pacific Coast of Mexico, more precisely in a small secret lagoon called Chacahua I've got lost in time and space for few days, while waves cleaned my soul and fishermen's food fed the appetite.
After hours of journey made through public transports as 60's vans and little motorboats we arrived to the ending edge of the lagoon during a painted sunset. As soon as the full red moon raised above the ocean an old lady welcomed me and another two travel companions to her "restaurant" on the beach. We walked on a almost empty beach lighted by candles and the dominant lighthouse, few tables disposed on the white sand were the best hospitality we could expect. The lady fed us with the simplest meal made of the freshest ingredients available. The Ceviche de Pescado was just the most essential recipe that a food mad insatiable of raw fish could ask in there. With an explosion of colours and taste the perfectly combined fresh fish was the mirror of what we seen around us.
After an early surf session in the morning I came back to the lady's "restaurant". I asked her if I could see the ceviche recipe promising that I would share some good italian tips. Despite her kitchen was composed by a fridge, a table, and a gas stove set on the sand covered by a palm's hut, the tidy organisation was enviable even to a Master Chef. We started to prepare the food together drinking just picked and squeezed pineapple juice, the sweetest I ever taste.
Food brought me inside countries, markets drove me where smells could climb culture barriers mixing unknown flavours. The simplest ingredients as the love they need for be transformed are at the base of every best recipe.