How To Serve Ceviche Safely

Ceviche is a bright and flavorful Latin American dish with a long history. The refreshingly cold dish made with raw seafood, citrus juice, various seasonings, and often a few vegetables is the national dish of Peru, but you can find a unique version of ceviche in nearly every South and Central American country. Since ceviche includes raw fish or shellfish, there are a few food safety tips you must take into consideration if you plan on preparing it at home to avoid making yourself and your guests sick from foodborne illness.

The first step to ensuring you are serving safe ceviche is to purchase high-quality seafood from a reputable place. Only buy fish that is deemed sashimi or sushi grade, meaning that it is safe to consume raw because it has been frozen and handled in a way that reduces the risk of parasites; the standard rule for killing parasites is to store the fish at -4 degrees Fahrenheit or colder for seven days. The type of seafood is important, too. A good rule of thumb when choosing the best fish for homemade ceviche is to think about the kinds of raw fish you would see on a sushi restaurant's menu — typically wild-caught, ocean fish. Tuna, salmon, mahi-mahi, halibut, snapper, sea bass, shrimp, and scallops are all common choices for ceviche. Once you make your purchase, store the fish in the coldest part of your refrigerator. You need to ensure that it stays below 41 degrees Fahrenheit, and ideally, you should serve the fish the same day you buy it.

Food safety needs to stay at the forefront of your mind as you prepare your ceviche. Once you cube the fish, the next step is to marinate it in citrus juice, which is said to "cook" the fish. While it is not the same as exposing the fish to a heat source, citrus juice creates an acidic environment that denatures the proteins in the fish, giving it a firmer texture similar to seafood that has been cooked over heat. However, unlike high temperatures, the citrus juice does not kill any bacteria, which is why starting with high-quality sashimi or sushi grade fish kept at a safe temperature is so important for ceviche. Your fish will need to be fully submerged in the citrus juice for at least 30 minutes (or longer depending on how big the pieces are) in the refrigerator to achieve the desired outcome.

Once your ceviche is prepared, it's vital to keep it cold when serving it to your guests. It is not like pico de gallo or guacamole, where it can just sit out on the counter for hours of casual grazing. It either needs to be eaten right away or kept at or under 41 degrees Fahrenheit to remain safe. Consider purchasing an ice-chilled serving dish, like the Limoeasy Chilled Dip Bowls, or simply put the bowl of ceviche inside a larger bowl full of ice. By following these safety precautions, you can impress your guests (or just yourself!) with a delicious, zesty, and refreshing bowl of homemade ceviche.