Ceviche and crudo dishes feature heavily on menus around the country – do you know the difference?
Crudo (meaning ‘raw’) is a dish you may see listed in the entrée section of Spanish, Italian and Mod Oz restaurants. It is a blanket culinary term that refers to a dish of uncooked fish or shellfish that is lightly dressed usually with olive oil and vinegar and seasoned. There is no specific size, shape or technique involved with how the fish or shellfish is sliced and this is one of the reasons crudo is a worthy and delicious menu pick as the Chef has the freedom to develop the dish how they see it fit, highlighting spectacular ingredients.
Ceviche is a popular Latin American and Caribbean dish and it isn’t exactly ‘raw’ as citrus juice is used to ‘cook’ the fish or shellfish. It’s an amazingly flavourful combination of fresh ingredients such as tropical fruit, vegetables, herbs and spices, along with citrus juice such as lime or lemon. The seafood is first marinated in a super acidic dressing for about 10-15 minutes which cures it, making it opaque and firm.
Here are three crudo and three ceviche recipes for you to try at home:
As Summer heat bears down and stone fruit are in abundance, try this recipe which combines the bright colour of plums and peaches with sashimi-style fish.
This simple, fresh and delicious dish from eRemo Restaurant in Pokolbin evokes ‘surf and turf’ elements, marrying the freshest cobia fish with the finest prosciutto…perfect connectivity between Queensland, the Hunter Valley and Italy, all on one plate.
"This is a dish that reminds me of my time spent in Ibiza. It’s a spin off from a mentor that I worked with over there for a summer while living in London. It’s a dish that reminds me of paradise, it’s fresh, tasty and easy to execute.” – Restaurant Santino Head Chef, Jake Rosen.
"This is a great entrée or share plate for a group of friends or family and so easy to make. At Balfour, we use New Zealand King salmon as it is the most sustainably sourced and has a great fat content which pairs really well with the acid.” – Lachlan Horstman, Executive Chef at The Balfour Kitchen.
Fresh, vibrant, local and a great dinner party showstopper, this ceviche dish from Potager is served in a ring in the centre of the plate with generous dots of avocado purée around the crab meat, topped with pickled sea greens and garnished with elderflower.
Pickled fennel is a great substitute if you can’t get your hands on sea greens.
A modern version of a Mexican staple, this delicious ceviche combines lime juice, red chilli, jalapeños, garlic and shallots with butterflied raw King prawns and crunchy toasted tortillas or tostadas for a light, bright and breezy starter that is sure to be a dinner party winner.
