Ceviche Crappie Salad
by Vernon Summerlin
Ceviche is a salad, however, sometimes it’s served as a cold soup. Gazpacho and vichyssoise are certainly cold soups designed especially for summer dining.
Ceviche is typically made from fresh raw fish cured in citrus juices, such as lemon or lime and spiced with ají or chilies. Additional seasonings, such as chopped onions, salt and cilantro may also be added. It is usually accompanied by side dishes that complement fish flavors, such as sweet potato, lettuce, corn, avocado or plantain. Because the dish is not cooked with heat, it must be prepared fresh to minimize the risk of food poisoning.
An early form of ceviche, thought to have been developed nearly 2,000 years ago, became our modern version when Moorish women from Granada accompanied Spanish conquistadors and colonizers to the Americas, bringing citrus fruits (limes and lemons) with them. This dish eventually evolved into what now is considered ceviche, a popular international dish prepared in a variety of ways. Ceviche is not native to Mexico despite the fact that it has been a part of traditional Mexican coastal cuisine for centuries. Peru claims to be its place of origin. This recipe is a terrific way to enjoy a cold crappie salad.
Crappie Ceviche
1-pound crappies, cut to bite-sized pieces
- 8 limes, juiced
- 2 tomatoes, diced
- 5 green onions, minced
- 2 stalks celery, sliced
- 1/2 green bell pepper, minced
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/8 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 jalapeno, finely diced (optional)
Rinse crappie and place in a medium sized bowl. Pour in lime juice to completely cover the fish. Chill for 4 hours or until fish pieces are opaque. Remove 1/2 of the lime juice from the bowl and add remainder of ingredients to the crappie/lime juice mixture. Stir gently. Serve cold.
Watermelon Gazpacho is a cool refreshing soup. Various gazapachos are usually made of raw vegetables and served cold, customarily with a tomato base. Its origin, the southern Spanish region of Andalusia, is eaten particularly during hot summer months.
- 6 cups cubed seedless watermelon
- 2 English (hothouse style) cucumbers, chopped
- 2 red bell peppers, chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1/2 jalapeno, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
- 2 tablespoons, minced fresh ginger
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1/2 cup pineapple juice
- 20 small mint leaves
Reserve 20 small pieces of watermelon for garnish. Working in batches, place the remaining watermelon, the cucumbers, red bell peppers, onion, jalapeno, lemon juice, olive oil, 3 tablespoons of fresh mint, ginger, honey and pineapple juice into a blender, and blend for about 30 seconds per batch. The mixture should be well blended but retain some texture. Pour into a large pitcher or bowl and refrigerate 1 hour. Serve in bowls and garnish each bowl with a couple of chunks of the retained watermelon and 2 small mint leaves.
Vichyssoise is a thick soup made of puréed leeks, onions, potatoes, cream and chicken stock. It is traditionally served cold but can be eaten hot.
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 3 leeks, white parts only sliced into rings
- 1 onion, sliced
- 5 potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
- 1 bay leaf
- 5 cups chicken broth
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
In a large stock pot melt butter over low heat. Add leeks and onion, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Add potatoes and season with salt and pepper. Add thyme, marjoram, bay leaf and stir well. Cover pot and continue to cook for 12 minutes. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook partially covered for 30 minutes. Puree soup in blender or food processor and chill. Before serving, add the cream. If you are serving this soup warm you need to reheat the soup slowly so that the cream does not change consistency.
