How To Make Ceviche From Barceló Maya Palace

One of the most enjoyable aspects of staying at a Barceló property is knowing that you're never going to be short on food options. If anything, the variety of dining experiences offered at these resorts might cause you to have extensive dinner debates with loved ones, costing you extra pool time, but the result is almost always worth it. Barceló's focus on combining regional cuisine with worldly fare is sure to put a smile on every face in your party, and it might even turn Aruba into your favorite destination for Japanese food. 

Barceló Maya Palace is a great example of this, as this beloved resort on the Riviera Maya is packed with dining options, from creative buffets and poolside finger foods to the Caribbean creativity of Caribe and the Brazilian-cut meat fiesta at Rodizio. Obviously, there are too many meals to choose from, so picking just one for a recipe we can all enjoy at home is a feat akin to tackling a third trip to the buffet at La Hacienda. 

But it turned out to be simple, because we asked for something fresh and delicious, and the culinary wizards at Barceló delivered with this simple-yet-fantastic and easy-to-prepare ceviche dish that is sure to be a hit at your next family or friendly gathering.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound fresh ocean fish fillet, diced 1/2 inch (snapper or halibut are recommended, but choose your favorite)
• 1.5 cups of fresh lime juice
• 0.5 teaspoon of sugar
• 1 medium white onion, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
• 0.5 fresh hot green chili pepper (stemless, seeded and finely chopped)
• 1/3 cup chopped cilantro, plus some leaves to decorate
• 1/3 cup chopped green olives (manzanillos for a typical Mexican flavor)
• 1 to 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil (optional)
• Salt
• 1 large or 2 small ripe avocados (peeled, pitted and diced)
• Toast, tortilla chips or crackers

Step 1

In a 1.5-quart glass or stainless-steel bowl, combine fish, lime juice and onion. Use enough juice to cover the fish and allow it to float freely; too little juice means uneven "cooked" fish. Cover and refrigerate for about 4 hours, until a cube of fish no longer looks raw when opened. Drain in a strainer.

Step 2    

In a large bowl, mix together the green chiles, cilantro, olives and optional olive oil. Stir in the fish and season with salt, usually about 1/2 teaspoon. Add sugar. Cover and refrigerate if not serving immediately. Just before serving, gently stir in the diced avocado.

Working ahead: The fish may be marinated a day in advance; after about 4 hours, when the fish is "cooked," drain it so that it won't become too tangy. For the freshest flavor, add the flavorings to the fish no more than a couple of hours before serving.

There are many ways to serve ceviche. Here are some of our favorites: Place the ceviche in a large bowl and let people spoon it onto individual plates to eat with chips or saltines; spoon the ceviche into small bowls and serve tostadas, chips or saltines alongside; or pile the ceviche onto chips or tostadas and pass around for guests to consume on these edible little plates. Garnish the ceviche with cilantro leaves before serving.

Chile tends to be known for inexpensive reds, but the real secret is the country's terrific Sauvignon Blancs. The cold winds off the Pacific give Sauvignon Blancs like this one a finely-tuned citrus zestiness, perfect for ceviche (something else they do extremely well in Chile).