Halibut Ceviche

I recently went to Whole Foods to grab some ingredients for this vegetable tagine I made, and I was inspired by the fish section. Which, if you know me, is the most hilarious thing you've probably ever heard.

Here's some context... I HATEEDDD fish growing up. I used to throw fish sticks that were served at my private elementary school on the floor when the teachers would force us to eat them. Up until college, I literally never ate sushi. Literally. When I went to Japan when I was 15, I had to lie and pretend like I was allergic to seafood so that they would understand I truly didn't eat it. Sure, that's awful and extremely bratty of me, but a. that was 10 years ago so you can't judge me and b. I would have gone STARVLES if I hadn't. You couldn't have paid me to eat it at the time.

I still don't eat shellfish. Riley and I once ordered two lobsters on accident in Italy because the waitress just kept saying "Pecse! Pecse! Pecse...bianca" when we asked her what type of fish it was. At the time, I was hoping white meat meant something light, like halibut. NOPE. Two. Large. Lobsters. You can imagine that I sure as hell played with my food that night, but did I eat it? No. I don't eat clams, oysters, mussels... nothing I need to SLURP. Yuck.

Anyways, I've come a long way. And I WAS inspired by the fish section at Whole Foods. I've been meaning to make ceviche recently, as I had some amazing salmon ceviche in Austin. It is SO easy to make. I cut the fish the night before, and had it cook in lemon juice for 24 hours. Giada does it for 3 hours. Tomato, tomahtoh. If you'd like to see Giada's recipe, you can find it here. 

Ingredients:

Tortilla Chips:
Vegetable oil cooking spray
Four 6 to 7 inch corn tortillas
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Ceviche:
One 10 ounce halibut fillet, skinned and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (from 2 large lemons)
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (from 3 to 4 large limes)
Zest of 1 large lemon
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Salad:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from 2 large limes)
1 teaspoon agave
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 green onions, pale green and white parts only, finely sliced
3 tomatoes, seeded, and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 large avocados, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 small jalapeños, finely diced

Directions:

1. For the tortilla chips: place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a small baking sheet with vegetable oil cooking spray. Set aside.

2. Using a pastry brush, brush the tortillas on both sides with the olive oil and sprinkle with the salt. Cut each tortilla into 8 triangles and arrange in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until golden and crispy, about 15 minutes

3. For the ceviche: in an 8 by 8 inch glass or ceramic baking dish, mix together the halibut, lemon juice, lime juice, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Cover the dish and refrigerate for 3 hours, stirring halfway through the refrigeration to distribute the marinade.

For the salad: In a medium bowl, mix together the olive oil, lime juice, agave, salt and pepper until smooth. Add the green onions, tomatoes, avocado, jalapeños; toss until coated

To assemble: Divide the salad and spoon into large glasses or small salad bowls. Drain the ceviche and spoon on top of the salad. Garnish with tortilla chips before serving