Raw Bar & Ceviche Recipe

Prepare fish and marinade

Keep fish well chilled. Cut firm white fish into uniform 1/2" cubes and place in a nonreactive bowl.

In a separate bowl whisk together lime juice, lemon juice and orange juice with grated ginger, sea salt and black pepper until salt dissolves.

Pour 3/4 of the citrus marinade over the diced fish, reserving the remainder to finish. Add thinly sliced red onion, diced jalapeño and half the chopped cilantro. Mix gently to ensure all pieces are coated.

Cover and refrigerate for 12–18 minutes, until fish is opaque at the edges but still slightly translucent in the center. (Ceviche should be 'cooked' by citrus briefly; avoid over-marinating to prevent mealy texture.)

While marinating, fold the remaining olive oil into the reserved marinade. After 12–18 minutes, drain roughly half of the marinade for a lighter texture, then drizzle the reserved olive-oil–enriched marinade over the fish and gently toss.

Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt, pepper, or a splash more lime if needed. Gently fold in remaining cilantro and top with diced avocado if using. Serve immediately with tortilla or plantain chips.

Prepare a bed of crushed ice on the serving tray. Arrange oysters on the half shells on top of the ice so they remain chilled.

Make mignonette

In small bowls combine red wine vinegar, minced shallot and cracked black pepper. Allow to rest 5–10 minutes for flavors to meld. Transfer to small ramekins for service.

Place cocktail sauce, lemon wedges and hot sauce in small bowls alongside the oysters. Provide small forks and oyster knives for service.

Shuck oysters just before service if possible. For safety, inspect each oyster for shell fragments and off-odors. Keep oysters on ice and discard any that do not smell briny-fresh.

Serve oysters with instructions: small spoonful of mignonette or a squeeze of lemon and a drop of hot sauce or cocktail sauce as preferred.

Arrange cold-smoked salmon slices on a chilled platter in overlapping rows so guests can easily take portions.

Place cream cheese in a bowl and stir in chopped dill and a pinch of black pepper. Transfer to a presentation bowl and top with a drizzle of olive oil.

Scatter capers and thinly sliced red onion on the platter or in small bowls. Provide bagels or rye crisps for guests to build bites.

Label condiments and suggest combinations: cream cheese + salmon + caper + onion; salmon + lemon (from oyster station) + dill; or salmon on crisp with a few capers.

Arrange very thinly sliced sashimi-grade fish on chilled plates in a single layer, slightly overlapping.

In a bowl whisk together lime juice, cold fish stock, aji amarillo paste, minced garlic, sea salt and red pepper flakes until smooth. Taste and adjust heat and acidity—leche de tigre should be bright and slightly spicy.

Drizzle a thin ribbon of the leche de tigre over each plate of fish so slices are lightly bathed but not swimming. Reserve a little to spoon over when serving.

Scatter the soaked, thinly sliced red onion and chopped cilantro over the fish. Garnish with microgreens or thinly sliced radish for texture and color.

Serve immediately. Provide small spoons so guests can add extra leche de tigre to taste.