Qu'est-ce que c'est? De-mystifying Chicago Restaurant Menus: Ceviche

By L. Stolpman in Food on Apr 1, 2008 5:30PM

Welcome to the second installment of Qu'est-ce que c'est? In our first showing, we tackled duck confit. This week, we're going to take a look at ceviche.

Ceviche (seh-vee-chay or seh-vee-chee) is raw fish which has been marinated in lemon and/or lime juice. The fish is typically cut into small cubes. The proteins in the fish are broken down by the acid in the juice marinade just as heat would have, had the fish been cooked. When it comes to the table the fish, more or less, looks cooked and essentially, it has been.

The acidic-based marinade normally contains salt, pepper, various other spices and herbs (cilantro, parsley), some avocado (adds just the right touch of fat and smooth texture to the dish), onion and some source of heat (jalapeño or some other chile). Tomato is also a popular ingredient. Ceviche is normally served with chips or crackers. Let's see how it is described on one Chicago menu:

Tepatulco: Tostaditas de Ceviche Tepatulco - Crisp little tortillas piled with lime-marinated marlin, manzanillo olives, tomato, chile serrano, tomatillo salsa, avacado and cilantro.

Manzanillo olives are a cultivated type of olive known for their rich taste. Tepatulco serves their ceviche on tortilla triangles. You can see a picture of the ceviche in the second picture in this entry, near the back of the plate.

This popular dish was found on many Chicago restaurant menus. Look for it specifically at Mexican or Latin American restaurants.

If you have a food item or method you'd like to read about in Qu'est-ce que c'est? Let us know!

Tepatulco is located at 2558 North Halsted Street.
Photo by wEnDaLicious