Ceviche en Chamoy
When I was young, we used to go to Mexicali, Baja California, every summer on our way to visit my grandmother in La Jolla. It was also our yearly trip to Disneyland. We’d stock up on saladitos (Chinese plums cured in salt and sugar), and chamoys, plums or apricots in a tangy, salty, sweet, red powdered chile mixture. We’d cut oranges in half and stick one or the other in the center and suck contentedly. So when I saw this ceviche on the menu at Zicanda, I was excited to order it and, fortunately, was not only not disappointed, but it was one of the best dishes I had on our trip. Chef Yiannis gave me the recipe that I was able to recreate to share with you.
I did discover a commercial chamoy sauce online but have yet to taste or work with it. I do know that it is not preservative-free.
Ingredients
For the infusion
- 1 cup dried Jamaica or hibiscus flowers
- 4 cups boiling water
For the fish
- 8-10 ounces firm-flesh fish such as dorade, red snapper or black bass cut into thin slices
- Juice of one lime if juicy, 2 if not
- Sea salt preferably from the Isthmus of Tehuantepec (Chef’s instructions; I know you probably can’t get it!)
For the chamoy sauce
- ½ cup mild white vinegar I use a Swiss brand, Delsey
- 1 cup cold water
- 6 ounces pineapple chunks
- Juice of one orange
- Juice of one lime
- 1 cup sugar I used half
- 1-2 teaspoons powdered árbol or other chile; be careful not to use chile powder mix
- ½ cup whole Jamaica or hibiscus flowers
- Sea salt
For the garnish
- Roasted pineapple slices
- Crispy fried garlic
- Cilantro flowers
Instructions
For the infusion
- Place the flowers in a small pitcher or other tall container; cover with boiling water and let sit until cool. Strain into a saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower to maintain a simmer, and cook until reduced to about 1½ cups. Reserve.
For the fish
- About 15 minutes before serving, place fish in glass or other non-reactive bowl; season with sea salt, and cover with lime juice. Remove, pat dry, and arrange like a flower in a deep bowl. (He did not say which flower.)
For the chamoy sauce
- Place all ingredients in the blender and process until thoroughly puréed. Strain through a Chinoise or a strainer lined with cheesecloth, into a bowl. Slowly stir in the reserved flower infusion. He said to thicken it with something made popular by Ferran Adria called xantana that I think it’s called xanthan gum here. It’s important but who can find it? I did not and, yes, it was runny.
For the garnish
- I did not remember what the dish looked like at the restaurant so, following his instructions, I came up with this. The garlic is a little too dark as is the pineapple but it was a good first try. I will do it again and change the photo.
Nutrition
Calories: 637kcalCarbohydrates: 128gProtein: 25gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 42mgSodium: 113mgPotassium: 644mgFiber: 2gSugar: 124gVitamin A: 1341IUVitamin C: 43mgCalcium: 75mgIron: 16mg
