Jonathan Zaragoza is a Chicago-based chef who got his start in professional kitchens working at the Michelin-starred Sepia and Sixteen, before becoming the chef of Masa Azul at 22. Jonathan’s path has taken him throughout Mexico, deep into its rich culinary heritage, to bring its traditions with him to London, Dubai, Paris, and the U.S.

Jonathan Zaragoza

While ceviche is generally acknowledged as having originated in Peru, there are a lot of Mexican versions. One of the most common is ceviche “a la Mexicana,” and that just means that it contains tomatoes, white onion, and jalapeño chile, which mirror the colors of the Mexican flag. It&#39;s one of my favorite things to eat. Fresh fish, cured briefly in a bright and spicy citrus marinade, served cold along with crisp fried masa and a little spicy hot sauce to take it over the top—what&#39;s not to like?This recipe is inspired by the ceviches served in the Western state of Jalisco, which is where my family’s from. We make our ceviche with “pescado molido,” or minced fish, and I’ve found that cutting the fish into small cubes delivers a beautifully tender texture. I call for halibut, a lean, mildly flavored fish with a meaty texture that lends itself particularly well to being cut into small cubes. You want to use the freshest, highest-quality fish you can find. If that’s halibut, perfect, but if you can&#39;t find halibut, red snapper or sea bass would be great substitutions. To complement the tender, raw fish, I give the ceviche a generous drizzle of <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/salsa-macha">salsa macha</a> to add a little spicy and nutty crunch.Think of this recipe as a gateway to Mexican-style ceviche. As long as you observe a few simple rules—use the freshest fish you can find, give the fish a brief, intense cure before building the rest of the ceviche—you can take it in a number of different directions. You can slice the fish in different ways, you can add different vegetables, like cucumbers, to the mix, or you can even add a little Clamato to the marinade to give it a kind of combination cóctel/ceviche vibe.Pair the ceviche with a hot sauce with some kick, tostadas, and your beverage of choice…it doesn’t get any better.

Ceviche a la Mexicana