Ceviche ventures beyond a niche

Tag : Dried Seaweed
Corey Mintz
Restaurant Critic

Trends may come and go, but respect for fresh ingredients and ahealthy fear of carbs should always be in style. Ceviche, a popularpreparation of fish cured in citrus juice, is quite at home withthese protein-forward sensibilities.
The juice of lemon or lime "cooks" the fish in a chemicalprocess called denaturing, which breaks many of the bonds that holdprotein molecules in their shape. The flesh is changed from itsplush, raw, translucent state to an opaque firmness. (Naturally thelemony freshness melds through, too.)
But it still carries many of the concerns we have about eating rawfish. I interviewed Frost Steele, of Brigham Young University, whoconducted a ceviche experiment in 2005 to determine the lemonjuice's effectiveness in destroying pathogenic microbes.
Because the acidification varies depending on the density of thefish, it alone cannot be relied upon to make the product safe, hetold me. "So good quality fish to start with is the bestrecommendation for preparation of ceviche."
The history of ceviche is obscure. Its likely ancestor is an Incanmethod for preserving fish using chicha, a fermented corn beverage.
The common denominators in modern ceviche are salt, chili, freshfish and citrus juice (which arrived in the Western Hemisphere inthe 16th century). With those four elements as a blueprint, and thefreedom to add whatever compliments, the dish has limitlesspermutations as a canvas for the aspirations of today's chefs.
Ken Oringer, of Toro in Boston, presents razor clams cured inkalamansi, grapefruit and white soy sauce, served with sea grapes(a peppery seaweed that looks like clusters of green caviar). DanSilverman, of Lever House in New York, pours oil infused with limeand vanilla over black sea bass highlighted with thin threads ofdried Korean chilies.
High quality pieces of fish can be "cooked" to order(thin slices of red snapper or tuna will cure in about fiveminutes). For efficiency, most restaurants will produce a largebatch in advance for an evening's service. Producing it in thesebatches means, at some point, the curing process must be stopped.Draining the fish of its marinade and coating it in oil will stopor slow down the corrosion of the flesh.
A classic salad version, tossed with cilantro and slivers of redonions, sided with chunks of sweet potato and corn to cut the heat,is found around town at Peruvian restaurants El Fogon (withgrouper, $13.95) and El Plebeyo (a massive portion of softer seabass, $21).
A similarly satisfying ceviche, made with tilapia ($8), is servedwith crispy plantain chips at La Bella Managua. The Nicaraguanrestaurant also serves a tamale the size of a schnauzer, stuffedwith pork loin, tomatoes and peppers ($7.99). Julie's Cuban usesmarlin ($8.95) to make an extremely mild ceviche, light on acid andchilies.
There is often a residue of liquid pooling at the bottom of aceviche dish. While messy by European standards, the liquid isconsidered a prize in Central and South America. It's known asLeche de Tigre (Tiger's Milk) and is thought to cure hangovers.
Spanish tapas bar Torito double-strains the Tiger's Milk off itswhite bass ceviche ($10) for a clean presentation, finishing thesmall plate with oodles of cilantro, and both fresh and toastedcorn.
The Boulevard Café, a perpetually packed patio institution in theAnnex, goes for the opposite approach. The mix of seafood ($15.95)rests in a tall glass, immersed in its juices. Calamari turns theliquid milky white and the salad takes on the look of a cephalopodshake.
Nyood serves freshly cured fluffs of red snapper ($13), adornedwith deep-fried capers and perfunctory micro-greens. Tempura shrimpis paired with lychee cured in blood orange juice ($14). The menuwording is a little misleading but it's a well-conceivedincorporation of fruit into the dish.
The lovingly plated octopus at Tomi-Kro ($12) is just a little toomuch fruity fun. Papaya makes an overly sweet companion for bouncy,underdone octopus.
Foxley turns the dish into a three-act play, offering a trio ofgenuinely unique ceviches ($14 each). The succession of dishes, bychef Tom Thai, is what makes Toronto cool.
Thin slices of sea bream cured in yuzu (an extra astringentJapanese citrus) are sprinkled with the foliage of shiso and mint.A julienne of green apple and ginger rest over bright orange, wildArctic char. The sugar and bitterness of the little salad wake upthe fish's flavour, finished with only a whiff of sesame oil.
Spanish mackerel arrives as more of a traditional chopped salad,animated by cucumber, mango and cilantro. The Scoville level (unitsused to measure capsaicin, the chemical element of spiciness)begins as a linger in the back of the throat with the sea bream andrises to a great tide of forehead-wiping with the mackerel.
High-end Mexican restaurant Milagro features three ceviches: tuna($11.75) paired with tomatillo; octopus ($10.50) with chipotle; andshrimp ($9.75) with jicama. They're all vibrant, but they'respooned into milkshake glasses with little distinction among them.
Whether it's being reconceptualized or ladled out old-schoolalongside a cold beer, ceviche is a perfect, refreshing dish in thedead heat of a summer evening.
The day I took over this job, Amy Pataki warned me about doingroundup articles, "You'll never want to eat that dishagain," she said. Certainly, there was a moment in the pasttwo weeks when the lime juice in my gut felt like it was about toburn a hole in me. But a doctor friend said it was just"abdominal pain from slight acid irritation of the mucosallining of the gastrointestinal tract." I believe that means atummy ache