Those of you who live in the South know how the heat of summer can feel unbearable. My remedy? This unconventional ceviche, influenced by the foods of the region.
I use saltwater fish like snapper (or cooked shrimp) and hit up my favorite roadside stand in Hempstead, a small town where the sandy-loam soil produces some of the best watermelons in the country. The fruit adds just enough sweetness to counterbalance the acidity of the lime-soaked fish and onions. Serve it cold as a refreshing appetizer, especially on a hot day, or make it a main course with some warm tortillas and rice.
Serves 6 to 8 as a starter, or 4 as a main course
Ingredients
1 pound skinless snapper (see Note), cut into half-inch to 1-inch pieces
½ small red onion, thinly sliced into half-moons
1½ cups fresh lime juice (from about 12 limes), plus more as needed
1 cup finely diced seedless watermelon
1 cup sliced cherry tomatoes
1 small jalapeño, finely diced
1 large avocado, diced
3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
Coarse sea salt
Tortilla chips or plantain chips, for serving
Directions
Place the fish and onion in a large nonreactive bowl and pour in the lime juice. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to four hours, stirring occasionally to ensure all the fish is evenly covered in the lime juice. The acid in the citrus will cure the fish, essentially cooking it.
Drain off and discard the lime juice. Add the watermelon, tomatoes, jalapeño, avocado, cilantro and a couple pinches of salt to the bowl with the fish and stir to combine. Serve immediately with chips or crackers.
Note:
Snapper is ideal for this recipe, but any firm-fleshed white saltwater fish will work such as mahi-mahi, halibut, rockfish or wahoo. You can also use peeled cooked shrimp. Just be sure to pick the best quality fresh or flash-frozen fish possible.
