Tuna Ceviche Tostadas

Anyone else crazy for ceviche?  I’ve been devouring it with reckless abandon at all my favorite restaurants, but until recently it hadn’t been attempted in the Gourmet Gourmand kitchen.

And there’s really no logical reason for the avoidance, just that it seemed like one of those fancy things you only get at when going out for a special dinner.

Let me tell you… that’s about to change.  All thanks to this Tuna Ceviche Tostadas recipe.

Because it is seriously way easier than expected, takes just a few minutes to pull together, and tastes so much better at home where you can ensure that your ceviche is handled and seasoned with care.  (Plus home-made tostadas take this way over the top.  Highly recommended).The flavors in ceviche are typically ginger, sliced or finely diced red onion, lemon or lime juice, and a little seasoning (i.e. soy or salt).  In this recipe I also added in some diced avocado and a few sesame seeds for texture.  I think avocado matches nicely with tuna, but I’d probably omit it if I were using a different variety of seafood.

The fish in this recipe should be sushi grade and I recommend Ahi (Yellowfin) or Bluefin; Albacore is fine, but sometimes is a little fishier tasting in my opinion.  Avoid Bigeye (this is what they use in canned tuna).The difference between sushi grade vs. non-sushi grade– basically the “sushi-grade” is an attempt at a guarantee by the supplier that the fish is safe for raw consumption.  There’s actually no official FDA regulation of this, apparently, so my best advice is to make sure that you trust your fishmonger and that you are accessing the freshest fish you possibly can.  I’d say that most major grocery stores are probably motivated to ensure that they’re not poisoning their customer, but mistakes do happen.  (I prefer to get my seafood at our local seafood market, but if you are non-coastal I’ve had good luck with Whole Foods selling high quality fish).  Non-sushi grade is typically less expensive and the supplier is recommending that you at least sear your fish to kill any micro-organisms that develop on the exterior of the fish.  It is typically still safe to consume non-sushi grade fish rare.In this recipe I used sushi-grade Ahi tuna.  Don’t be perturbed by the gray-ish color of the fish in some of these photos- while not the most gorgeous looking, this is caused by the chemical reaction of citrus juice and the seafood proteins.  It causes a denaturing reaction similar to a brief sear (although without the bacterial killing properties, so don’t fool yourself that you are “cooking” out any bacteria.  Still get the freshest fish possible!)I let my ceviche marinate just briefly as I prefer my fish as close to raw as possible.  Feel free to adjust your marinade times as you wish- the longer you let it sit the firmer and less “raw” tasting the fish will become.(P.s. We are heading to Peru next month and I can’t wait to try Peruvian ceviche- it’s marinated in orange juice and tossed with large-kernel Peruvian white corn.  Sounds amazing, right?  I’ll keep you posted on how it goes 🙂 )

Tuna Ceviche Tostadas

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Ingredients

  

• 1/2 lb sushi-grade tuna see blog post for recommendations
• 1/2 avocado small dice
• 3 tablespoons red onion sliced paper thin
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger grated (using micro-plane grater)
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds optional
• 3 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 10 small corn tortillas for frying I used 4.5 inch Guerrero white corn tortillas
• Sea salt to taste

Instructions

 

To fry the tortillas

• In a 10 inch skillet (I used cast iron) heat 1 cup vegetable oil over medium heat.
• Fry the tortilla, 3 at a time, until they are golden brown and crispy. Flip intermittently to ensure they fry evenly.
• They will be done when they feel hard/crispy in the oil.
• Remove to paper towel to drain and season with sea salt.

To prepare the ceviche

• In a medium bowl combine tuna, avocado, onion, ginger, sesame seeds, lemon juice, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Toss gently with a large spoon, using care not to smash the avocado.
• Taste and season with additional salt if needed.
• Place about 1 heaping tablespoon of ceviche on individual fried tostadas.
• Serve immediately
• (If preparing in advice, prep ingredients and chill separately. Squeeze a little lemon juice over the avocado to prevent browning. Do not toss fish with lemon juice until immediately before serving).