With what to accompany the ceviche?

If you’ve ever tried ceviche, you’ll know that it’s a real punch of flavor. Ceviche is one of the most versatile ways to prepare and serve seafood.

Of course, eating anything as is can get boring after a while, so why not change it up? Ceviche can be made with a wide variety of seafood and naturally has a wide variety of potential pairings.

So what are the best accompaniments for ceviche?

The most popular garnishes for ceviche are corn nuts, cucumber ribbons, edamame beans, and some form of crispy potato. These ingredients can also be incorporated into some of our favorite ceviche meals and garnishes, such as tacos or tropical salads.

In this information-packed article, we’ll take a look at the types of ceviche, the best way to pair it with other flavors, and some of our favorite sides.

What is ceviche?

For those of you unfamiliar with ceviche, the easiest way to describe it is that it is flavored cured seafood.

Ceviche can be made with almost any type of seafood, with white fish, shrimp, octopus, and lobster being the most popular.

Raw shellfish meat is cured in an acid base, usually lemon or lime juice. The liquid is almost always flavored with other ingredients such as chili peppers, herbs, or other aromatics such as garlic.

It is very easy to pair ceviche with other ingredients and dishes because, although the type of seafood changes, the acidity is what must be balanced.

How to pair food with ceviche

Ceviche is very tasty and can be served as is, as many people enjoy it. However, the great thing about ceviche and its simple flavor profile is that it can be easily incorporated into other dishes.

Regardless of what you decide to do with it, it’s important to know the following information about it before trying to combine it with other flavors.

• The type of fish - Do not repeat the seafood. If you have a salmon ceviche, do not serve it alongside salmon crackers. Or if you have a lobster ceviche, don’t serve it with grilled lobster. This is overkill and will cause you to compare the two lobster dishes side by side and not really appreciate which one should be centered.
• The curing agent - Do not add more acidity than the lemon or lime juice or vinegar already has. If you add more acidic ingredients to the dish or side, you’ll be overloading everything with acid, and you’ll still want to savor the seafood and experience the ceviche dish as a whole.
• Other Ingredients - Take a look at the other ingredients used to flavor the ceviche and choose other ingredients that complement these flavors. The sweetness helps counteract the acidity. Sweetness can be incorporated in many ways, but since ceviche is almost always served raw, so should the accompanying ingredients. You can add fruits, vegetables and sweet garnishes to any dish in which you serve it or with which you accompany it.
• Overall Flavor and Aroma - Stay away from spicy ingredients. You don’t want to distract from the interesting flavors of the ceviche or add flavors that don’t go together. You also don’t want to add ingredients that create unappetizing odors that flare up with the ceviche.
• Texture - Texture, texture, texture! For ceviche, due to its softness, you need something crunchy to accompany it. If not, you’ll end up eating porridge for dinner.

Knowing the ins and outs of your ceviche will help you determine what other flavors or dishes to serve the ceviche with.

Now, we can give you some guidelines for pairing ceviche with other dishes, but the best way to learn and find the definitive pairings is by experimenting.

Pairings for ceviche

Ceviche can be eaten as is or incorporated into many different meals to add another dimension of flavor and texture.

Today we will see the garnishes, the accompaniments for ceviche and the ways to incorporate it into another dish. Because it has such a strong flavor, it won’t easily disappear among other ingredients.

Now, as we always say, the best way to learn to combine flavors is to experiment. This is especially important with ceviche, as it can be made with a wide variety of seafood.

1. Corn nuts

Corn nuts (or canchitas) are a very popular garnish among Peruvians. They provide something crunchy and a very neutral flavor that breaks the strong acid palate of ceviche.

An alternative that is popular in northern Peru is dried plantain chips (or chifles). They work in the same way as corn nuts, providing crunch. The sweetness of the dried banana also cuts the acidity.

2. Crispy potatoes

Who doesn’t like a good crispy potato? Starch is a great and easy way to add another element to your plate without taking away from the main meal.

Potatoes, especially, are very neutral in flavor and can be made in a myriad of ways to exactly complement your dish. That is why potatoes are so often seen as a garnish.

Potato and fish have also always been a classic combination. So has the addition of vinegar in the fries, only this time the acidity is in the fish itself.

Choose a crispy potato option, such as French fries or crispy wedges. They provide crunch and the brining also wonderfully elevates the raw flavors of the fish.

You can also serve a piece of ceviche on a large fry with a garnish of herbs and make interesting starters.

4. Edamame

Edamame beans are a classic pairing of Asian flavors with raw fish. If you’re not familiar with edamame, it’s basically an immature green soybean that almost looks like a sugar snap pea.

It has a very meaty flavor and when steamed or boiled, all that flavor will mix really well with the sour ceviche.

You can also add a drizzle of soy or sesame sauce to give the whole dish a more Asian touch.

5. Shrimp

Believe it or not, prawns are another classic ceviche side dish. You may be thinking: “but that’s too much fish!”. Well, the locals are never wrong!

If you don’t make a shrimp ceviche, classic buttered garlic shrimp or shrimp with other light seasonings make an excellent accompaniment.

Do not use any lemon or lime juice when preparing or serving the shrimp, as ceviche already meets that requirement.

The slightly sweet meat of the prawns with the fragrant flavors of the garlic butter will balance the salty acidity of the ceviche.

6. Tropical salads

This is our first item where you can incorporate ceviche into the dish. When we say tropical salad, we mean using sweet tropical fruits.

This can include mango, pineapple, nectarines, and much more. The sweetness of these fruits will also balance the flavor of the ceviche, and the crunchy lettuce leaves will provide that texture you need.

Here are some salad ideas:

• Mango and prawn ceviche salad with spinach leaves and an Asian dressing
• Avocado, tomato and salmon ceviche salad with baby gem lettuce leaves
• Grouper ceviche with pineapple, cucumber and a creamy salad dressing

Speaking of salad, cucumber is also a great ingredient to add to a meal (tacos, for example) with ceviche. It naturally has a very neutral flavor with hints of sweetness, which means it will add crunch without adding too much flavor.

Lettuce leaves are also a must as long as they are crisp. They can be used as serving glasses and add tons of sweet flavor and much-needed texture.

7. Studs

A fish taco is one of our favorite dinners, and we think the best way to make them is with ceviche.

You can use a basic ceviche salad recipe (even a tropical one) and put it inside a taco shell. The shell itself adds some saltiness and crunch that will greatly complement the tart and citrus flavors of your ceviche.

If you want the flavors of the ceviche to stand out to the maximum, the best way to serve the taco is with tomatoes, lettuce, cucumber and the ceviche. This way, nothing stands out or distracts.

You can also add a little avocado to give it a little more flavor that does not overwhelm the fish.

Sticking with Mexican cuisine, you can make tortillas or quesadillas instead of tacos. Ceviche is so easy and adaptable that you can push the limits as far as you want.

8. Oysters

Again, as long as you don’t make an oyster ceviche, you can serve it with some fresh oysters.

Personally, this is one of our favorite options, especially for classier dining. You can serve the ceviche over an oyster with a few garnishes like a fennel leaf and even a drop of tartar sauce.

The oysters have a very unique flavor, and if you’re a fan, try them with a ceviche next time.

9. Corn

Our last pairing of the day is fresh corn on the cob or loose corn, lightly salted or seasoned. Corn is just as versatile as ceviche, and you can incorporate it in many ways, including salads and tacos.

It has that crunchy element you need and also the sweetness needed to break the acidity.

You can even serve the corn with some melted salted butter and chili flakes. The possibilities are endless and it will help you change the entire flavor profile.