Like many during quarantine, our team at Cocina Verdad has been keeping busy by cooking, perfecting, (and enjoying) home cooked meals. In anticipation of your return to Nicaragua, they’re making the most of the extra time they have on their hands to tinker with recipes for some of the stand out dishes we serve at Verdad to insure the perfect balance of flavors in each dish. And with our new jardin de la paz lush with an endless supply of organic greens, we simply can’t keep our chefs out of the kitchen these days!
With summer in full swing and the swells rising in Nicaragua, we’re finding ourselves craving all things light, fresh, and salty when cocktail hour arrives -- and we assume you are too!?
One of the many perks of being in Nicaragua, with consistently warm weather, is that we have easy access to an endless bounty of fresh, local ingredients all year round. Plus, because Verdad is located in the region of San Juan del Sur, one of the prime fishing destinations in Nicaragua, we get fresh caught, local fish delivered to Cocina Verdad just about every single day. Whether you’re down by the beach for an afternoon siesta or joining us for tapas and happy hour by the pool bar, nothing beats our Chef Neri’s ceviche, which is, of course, always made with the freshest local catch.
Ceviche is typically served as a marinated, raw fish dish, combining vegetables, freshly squeezed lime, and olive oil. It is the quintessential seaside dish, providing the perfect balance of citrus and salt.
There is a popular theory which claims that ceviche originated in Peru, during the times of the Moche civilization, over 2000 years ago. Back then, fermented juices from bananas and passionfruit were used to marinate the seafood, as citrus had yet to make an appearance in Latin America. As the ceviche dish was adapted across varying Latin American cultures and communities, cooks in other countries modified the recipe to feature stand-out ingredients from their native lands.
At Verdad, our chefs use locally grown ingredients and fresh caught fish to make our phenomenal ceviche. We asked Head Chef Neri to share her own go-to ceviche recipe so you can try it at home and share it with friends and family, since you can’t yet enjoy it here with us!
Chef Neri's Famous Ceviche Recipe
(the perfect 'summer cocktail dish')
Ingredients:
1 small red onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
1lb whitefish filet (our speciality is normally Mahi Mahi or Parrotfish)
1 cup lime juice
1/2 cup orange juice (optional)
Salt
Ground pepper
Hot pepper (optional)
Directions:
Clean and cut fish into small pieces - no bigger than 1/2 inch. (Too large and the lime juice won’t cook the fish, but too small and it will fall apart in the mix.)
Add veggies, fish, and lime juice to a large bowl, and stir.
Add salt, and pepper to taste.
Taste a bit of the juice and add a little orange juice to cut the sour and add sweetness, if desired.
Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour, but not longer than two.
Add hot pepper (red pepper flakes or fresh cut jalapeño) if desired.
We hope you’re all enjoying your summer and getting the chance to connect with family and friends during these crazy times. We can’t wait to see you back at Verdad soon. Your next ceviche cocktail is on us!