Strawberry Ceviche: Tis the Season

Here's something to try that's in season, truly unique, and quite delicious. Years ago, I copied the recipe into my computer from the May, 1990, issue of Chile Pepper Magazine. Needless to say, that magazine is no longer sitting around, nor did any record of it show up on a search of Chile Pepper's web site. The original recipe says to use any firm white fish like snapper or flounder. Since the flesh of flounder isn't quite firm enough for my own ceviche sensibility, and since snapper is not always available "jumping fresh" here in Baltimore, I went with rockfish. To many non-Marylanders, particularly as you head north, it's referred to as striped bass. Whether it's wild or farm-raised doesn't matter to me, although the likelihood is greater that farm-raised will be fresher. For any dish other than a ceviche, I prefer the wild rockfish.

STRAWBERRY CEVICHE

6 jalapeno, stemmed and seeded
3/4 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon orange peel, grated
1 pound firm white saltwater fish
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small red onion, sliced and separated
1/2 pound fresh strawberries, sliced
2 teaspoons fresh parsley, minced.

Combine the chiles, onions, orange juice, lemon juice, and orange peel in a ceramic or glass bowl. Add the fish and refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours, turning occasionally until the fish loses its translucency throughout. The fish can be marinated overnight if desired. Remove the fish and save the juice. Mix 1/4 cup of the reserved juice with the oil and the parsley. Toss the stawberries and the fish in the mixture until well coated. Arrange the ceviche on plates and serve.