HANDLINE: Rosarito’s Ceviche

Although there isn’t much sunshine during the winter season, this time of year provides plenty of joy with the many delicious types of citrus that become available. At Handline, a few of these special varieties that we focus on are blood oranges and Cara Cara oranges. The blood orange has the color and tartness that is reminiscent of red berries, while the Cara Cara orange has an almost peachy color and rich sweetness that you expect from an orange at the peak of its season. Mix these two together and they create a balance of flavor that makes our Rosarito’s ceviche pop! The ceviche is named after the Mexican coastal town of Rosarito, where all along the beach vendors sell grilled and fresh seafood.

Ingredients

1 blood orange
1 Cara Cara orange
8 limes
¼ red onion, small dice
1 small jalapeño, small dice
(1) 8-10 oz rock cod filet
1 tsp of your favorite habañero salsa
¼ bunch cilantro, chopped
Salt

First, let’s talk about “supremes.” A supreme is a slice of citrus that doesn’t contain any white pith or peel. The technique to create these slices is simple, but takes practice. Start by cutting the stem end of the orange flat and do the same to the opposite side. Using a sharp knife, peel off the peel and pith by following the shape of the orange while slicing downwards. After you have removed the peel and pith, use a knife to cut between the webbing of the orange slices to remove a crescent of only flesh. This gets easier every time you try it! Squeeze the rest of the juice from the pulp of the Cara Cara orange. Strain the juice and set aside.

Cut the rockfish filet into bite-size pieces and cover with the juice of the limes. Let sit in the juice until the fish is opaque and fully cured, around 25 minutes. While the fish is curing, cut your red onion and jalapeño into a small dice and set aside. Pick the cilantro leaves off the stem and chop and set aside. 

Once the fish has finished “cooking” in the acid of the lime juice, remove the fish from the juice and put into a mixing bowl. Add the diced onion, diced jalapeño, chopped cilantro, supremes from both the Cara Cara and Blood Oranges, habañero salsa, a couple tablespoons of the Cara Cara orange juice, and add salt to taste. Mix well together in the bowl and taste to adjust seasoning if necessary. You will need more salt than you think!

When you’re happy with the balance of flavors, transfer to your favorite serving vessel and treat your guests to a delicious, fresh winter dish with the addition of tortilla chips or a crispy tostada shell.

Visit Handline here! Looking for something vegetarian? Try our Ex Pat taco!