History

Ceviche crossed the border from the Pacific coast of Baja California Sur, where Sinaloa-style and Ensenada-style preparations differ on whether the fish is diced fine or chunked, and whether cucumber and tomato belong. San Diego's Mariscos German truck and Oscar's Mexican Seafood codified the local style in the early 2000s: lime-cured rockfish, cucumber and Serrano on a fried tostada. El Pescador in La Jolla runs the Mexican-American fish-counter version.

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Common allergens: Fish, Shellfish

Make it at home

Yield 4Hands-on 20 minTotal 1 hrDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 400g very fresh white fish fillet (rockfish, sea bass, halibut), skinless, boneless
  • 8 limes, juiced (approx 200ml fresh lime juice)
  • 1 small white onion, finely diced
  • 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced 5mm
  • 1 firm tomato, seeded and diced 5mm
  • 1 Serrano chile, minced
  • Half a bunch cilantro, leaves chopped
  • 1 ripe avocado, diced
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 8 crisp tostadas, Mexican hot sauce (Tapatio or Valentina), to serve

Method

  1. Dice the fish into 7mm cubes. Place in a glass or ceramic bowl.
  2. Pour the lime juice over the fish, stir, refrigerate 25 to 30 minutes until the fish is opaque and firm on the outside, still translucent in the centre.
  3. Drain off about half the lime juice (keep some for moisture). Stir in the onion, cucumber, tomato, Serrano, cilantro and salt.
  4. Refrigerate another 10 minutes to let the flavours pull together.
  5. Spoon onto crisp tostadas. Top each with diced avocado.
  6. Pass Mexican hot sauce at the table.

Tip from the editors. Lime juice must be fresh; bottled juice tastes like furniture polish. Cure no longer than 30 minutes or the fish goes chalky and the texture collapses.

Where to eat baja-style ceviche

Baja-style ceviche in San Diego

Mariscos German ★ 4.5

$$ MexicanEncanto

Mariscos taco truck on Federal Blvd in Encanto, fish tacos, ceviche tostadas, clams and oysters; open daily 9am to 7pm, free ceviche sample at the window.

OrderShrimp Gobernador taco, fish ceviche tostada, aguachile

Why locals goA Federal Boulevard taco truck pulling Tijuana-style aguachile and Gobernador shrimp tacos out of a no-tablecloth parking lot since the early 2000s.

TipBring cash and patience; the line moves fast and the spicy aguachile clears your sinuses on the spot.

Directions

Oscar's Mexican Seafood ★ 4.5

$ MexicanPacific Beach

Oscar's Mexican Seafood on Emerald Street in Pacific Beach, San Diego, the local-vote fish taco champion with battered fish for under five and ceviche.

TryFish tacos under $5, ceviche tostadas $7

Directions

El Pescador Fish Market and Restaurant ★ 4.4

$ Street foodLa Jolla

El Pescador on Pearl Street in La Jolla, San Diego, the day-boat fish counter pulling local catch into grilled sandwiches and ceviche just blocks.

TryGrilled fish sandwich, ceviche, smoked fish tacos

Directions

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