Most Kiwis would have tried raw fish before in their lives, but usually here we eat it Polynesian style with coconut cream (see New Zealand Fishing World issue 56 for recipe) or as sashimi at a Japanese restaurant.
Raw fish is eaten throughout the world and is a staple diet of many coastal South American countries. South America’s raw fish salad, known as ceviche, is huge in Peru especially and they even have a holiday to celebrate their national dish.
In New Zealand we can use almost any type of white-fleshed fish for this, but make sure it’s fresh. This is a very fresh and light meal so is perfect for the beach or with a few beers after a long, hot summer’s day.
Ingredients
- 1kg of fresh white fish fillets
- 1 ½ cup of fresh lemon juice
- 1 chilli, finely chopped
- ½ cup of celery, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, very finely chopped
- 2 large red onions cut into fine half rings
- 1 handful of chopped coriander
- 1 cup of lemon juice
- Salt and pepper
- Corn cobs
- Lettuce leaves
Method
- Let the onions soak in a big bowl of cold water for 10-15 minutes to remove some of their bite.
- Chop the fish into bite-sized pieces and, in a non-reactive bowl, add the chilli, garlic, celery, coriander, salt and pepper and let marinade for around 15 minutes.
- Put the corn cobs on the BBQ until they are cooked and coloured before slicing off the kernels.
- Arrange lettuce leaves on the serving plates and top with some of the fish mixture before scattering over some of the onions and corn.
