Sauvignon Blanc

As spring advances, zippy and herbaceous whites like Sauvignon Blanc appeal. This dry white wine, whether from Sancerre or New Zealand, marries nicely with the herbal notes of jalapeno and cilantro, as well as with lime-citrus flavors.

Light and bright for spring, ceviche is a dish composed of fish cooked by acidic liquid rather than heat. Mexican cooks from the beautiful Yucatan peninsula prefer limes, locally abundant and fragrant. Of course, fish should be fresh and high quality. Grouper, bass and snapper make great options.

Serves 3-4; Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

Ceviche
12 ounces firm, white fish like snapper or sea bass, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup lime juice, fresh squeezed
1/2 red onion, diced
2 small oranges (or 3 tangerines), segmented and chopped
2 small tomatoes, seeded and chopped*
½ cup of fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
1 ripe avocado, diced
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt, to taste
*Skip the tomatoes when out of season/underripe.

Tortilla Chips (makes 10 tortillas)
1 cups masa harina (Mexican corn flour)
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
3/4 cups hot water

Guacamole
1 ripe avocado, diced
½ small red onion, finely chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1 fresh lime, juiced
5 stalks fresh cilantro, rough chopped plus additional for garnish
Kosher salt, to taste



Directions

Tortilla Chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix masa harina, salt, and water in a mixing bowl by hand. Knead for a minute, ensuring even distribution of water. Divide and hand-roll dough into ten balls.
2. If using a tortilla press, follow instructions and press out ten tortillas. If not, roll out with a rolling pin or flatten beneath a heavy skillet. Cover finished tortillas with a damp towel.
3. Brush a baking tray with oil. Brush each tortilla with oil, then stack on top of one another. Cut the stack of ten in half, then again, forming wedges. Arrange wedges in a single layer on tray. Sprinkle with salt. Bake 8-12 minutes. Remove and allow to cool.

Ceviche

1. In a large bowl, combine fish, lime juice, and red onion. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. While the fish marinates, prep oranges, tomato (if using), cilantro, avocado, and jalapeno.
2. Remove bowl from refrigerator. Strain fish and onion off lime juice, discarding liquid. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Season to taste with salt.

Guacamole

1. Make guacamole last to preserve color and freshness.
2. Combine diced avocado with onion, jalapeno, and lime juice in a medium mixing bowl (or traditional mortar). With a fork (or pestle), mash until blended and creamy. Add salt to taste. Gently stir in cilantro.
2. Serve a scoop of guacamole alongside ceviche and baked tortilla chips. Garnish with cilantro.