Quality Seafood Market, writes a monthly article for Live Oak Pharmacy on seafood as an essential part of whole body wellness.

It’s still too hot to fire up that oven. Ceviche (say-VEE-chay) is a great hot weather meal. It requires no heat and very little prep time. What’s more, it’s cool and refreshing! This week, I’d like to share a few pointers that I learned from my fellow fishmonger, Ryan Verheyn of Quality Seafood Market, on how to safely prepare ceviche. Most recipes call for marinating the seafood (fish, shrimp, scallops, octopus, and squid are all popular choices) for 1-5 hours in citric acid (i.e., lime juice) before consumption. The fresher the seafood and the longer it marinates, the more bacteria is killed by the acid and the safer the ceviche is to eat. However, Ryan recommends an even more sanitary method than just selecting a fresh catch and marinating it. Ryan marinates just the seafood, leaving the other ingredients aside, in the citric acid for 5 hours or overnight, if possible. This ensures that the maximum amount of bacteria bites the dust. When he’s ready to serve the ceviche, Ryan drains the seafood, discards the marinade and replenishes it with fresh lime juice. Then he adds his other fresh ingredients, such as diced jalapeño and onion, chopped tomato, and minced garlic and cilantro. The new lime juice has a brighter, fresher flavor, not to mention it’s free of that fishy marinade.

As always, when making ceviche, be sure to buy seafood from a reputable, busy market that is known for its high turnover of product (you don’t want fish that’s been sitting around all week). Also, ask your monger what fish she recommends that day. What’s the freshest? What has the right texture and flavor for ceviche? My personal favorite is black drum. It’s lean, white, and firm. It has a mild flavor and takes to the flavors of other fresh ingredients well. Finally, it’s a local, wild-caught Texas favorite. Now what could be more refreshing than supporting your local fisherman? See you in the market!

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