Celebrate the holidays with the magic of ceviche – a dish that transforms raw fish into a festive delight! Alaska halibut, my top pick for its wild-caught, sustainable goodness, takes center stage. 

The sweet and mild flavor dances in a citrus marinade, where the acid performs its culinary magic, creating a texture and look that rivals traditional cooking methods.

Whether you're embracing the winter chill or seeking a light, healthy feast to warm your spirits, ceviche is your go-to.  

Serve it in a bowl with chips, atop crispy tostadas, or generously piled on a bed of chips for a fresh take on nachos. Feeling adventurous? Scoop it into halved avocados or present it in glasses for charming individual appetizers. Let the holidays for fishermen shimmer with the zest of ceviche!

Halibut Ceviche

Makes 6 cups

  • 1½ pounds halibut, skinned, trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces 
  •  ¾ cup lime juice (about 7 limes)
  • 2 medium tomatoes, diced 
  • ½ cup red onion, finely chopped 
  • ½ cup cilantro, chopped 
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil 
  • 1 serrano chili, finely minced 
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt or more to taste 
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper 
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano 
  • mini (3-inch) crisp tostada shells tortilla chips

Put halibut in a glass bowl; cover completely with lime juice. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. 

Meanwhile, mix remaining ingredients (except tostada and tortilla chips) in another bowl. Chill in the refrigerator while the halibut is finishing. 

When the halibut is ready, put into a mesh strainer and strain the fish from the lime juice, put fish into a bowl. Drain most of the juice from the tomato mixture and add to the bowl with the halibut. Gently mix well.

Serve with mini tostada shells or tortilla chips. 

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Five months a year, LaDonna Gundersen lives on a 32-foot fishing boat in Southeast Alaska with her husband Ole, a commercial fisherman and their boat cat Keta.  Miles from civilization, LaDonna keeps boat and cooks healthy meals from her tiny 4 x 5’ galley kitchen, often contending with the swells and swallows of the sea.  Find more great galley recipes from her seven Alaskan-Themed cookbooks at ladonnarose.com

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