Serrano Sauce Ceviche
“My inspiration for this recipe comes from when I lived and worked in Riviera Maya. Every morning they would bring in fresh fish off the boats. I love working with fresh ingredients. In this recipe I have the coast from Playa del Carmen, and I add some luxury ingredients, like the truffle oil and Parmesan cheese, to make a fusion of ingredients that match. I had the idea one day to make a different green aquachile, which is very simple. I wanted to try to be different and use the flavor of the serrano. I choose to combine it in this recipe with the Parmesan for a little creaminess.”
Ingredients
FOR THE CEVICHE:
- 1 cup (200 g) red snapper, raw, cut into small cubes
- 1/3 cup octopus tentacles, cooked (recipe follows)
- 2 tablespoons (24 g) red onion, julienned
- ⅓ cup (42 ml) lime juice
- 1 cup (140 g) serrano sauce (recipe follows)
- Black pepper, to taste
- Hibiscus or fine sea salt, to taste
- 3 tablespoons (40 g) avocado
- 2 tablespoons (30 g) Persian cucumber, thinly sliced
- ½ tablespoon (2 g) serrano chile, thinly sliced
- Cilantro microgreens
- 2 teaspoons (10 g) truffle oil
- Garlic chips, for garnish (recipe follows)
- 4 tostadas
FOR THE OCTOPUS:
- 3 to 4 octopus tentacles
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- ½ white onion
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt
FOR THE SERRANO SAUCE:
- ¼ cup (56 g) olive oil
- ¼ cup (56 g) serrano pepper
- ½ cup (100 g) Parmesan cheese, shredded (Grana Padana preferred)
- ⅔ cup (140 g) fresh lime juice
- 4 cloves garlic
- ½ cup (121 g) cilantro
- 1 tablespoon (10 g) kosher salt
- 1 large tomatillo with skin
FOR THE GARLIC CHIPS:
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup neutral oil
Instructions
FOR THE CEVICHE:
- Place the red snapper and the octopus in a bowl. Add the red onion, fresh lime juice and salt. Let marinate for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the serrano sauce and mix well.
- Plate the ceviche. Salt and pepper, to taste. Top with avocado, cucumber, serrano chile, truffle oil and cilantro microgreens. Garnish with garlic and serve with tostadas.
FOR THE OCTOPUS:
- Place the octopus in a pot with the garlic, rosemary and white onion. Cover with cold water. Cook over medium flame until the water begins to boil, then reduce heat and simmer the octopus until tender, about 1 to 2 hours. Octopus is tender when you can easily pierce the thickest part of the tentacle with a paring knife.
- Once cooked, allow the octopus to cool in the water, then remove and pat dry with a paper towel.
- Let the tentacles dry, sitting on paper towels in the fridge, for another 2 to 3 hours to get maximum char when grilling. The drier they are, the more char you will get without overcooking them.
- Light a grill for high heat cooking, 450° F degrees or higher.
- Douse the tentacles in the olive oil, then sprinkle with salt. Grill until they have a nice char.
- Set aside. Once cool, slice tentacles into small circles.
FOR THE SERRANO SAUCE:
- Blend all the ingredients around 8 minutes until you have a smooth purée consistency. Strain, chill and reserve.
FOR THE GARLIC CHIPS:
- Peel the garlic cloves without crushing them. Cut them into thin, uniform slices. Set a frying pan on medium-low heat and add the oil. Add the garlic slices. Bring up to temperature and cook until the garlic is lightly golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- When the garlic slices are lightly golden, remove from the pan using a slotted spoon or a fine-mesh skimmer spoon to drain the oil. Transfer chips to a paper towel-lined plate in a single layer to absorb any excess oil. Let cool completely. Store in an airtight container.
Notes
Photo by Daniela Loera
