When I first shared a recipe for ceviche on My Fishing Cape Cod we used halibut, which is a great fish to use for ceviche. However, I am guessing most people reading this have no way of catching their own fresh halibut!

That's why I wanted to recreate ceviche using fresh caught striped bass, because I know many of you have the ability to catch your own striper. Plus striped bass ceviche is so easy to make. All you need are diced jalapeños, onion, pepper, cilantro and avocado. 

The first time I had striped bass ceviche was at Fishermen's View Restaurant in Sandwich, and boy I have to tell you, I couldn't stop thinking about it!  

Ceviche is such a great, fresh way to prepare striped bass. However, before we get started with this recipe, I just want to make sure we're all on the same page here. The word "striper" is spelled with just one "p", got it?

Seriously, the amount of striper/stripper typos I see here on My Fishing Cape Cod is alarming! So alarming I even had to write this blog post about it.

So back to the delicious striped bass ceviche that I am devouring as I write this post - ceviche is simply fish cooked in the acids of lime juice, rather than using heat.  The texture is firmer than when you bake it, and it holds together really well without flaking all over the place.  

In my opinion, I think this ceviche recipe is even better than the first one I published on MFCC, but I say that about every dish I make more than once!  For starters, this ceviche is a little less "citrusy".  

Here's the recipe breakdown for you...

The Ingredients

For this striped bass ceviche, I used a lot more jalapeño, but added in creamy avocado at the end before serving to offset the spice (and you'll be surprised that it's not spicy to begin with).  

I also added in diced vidalia onion, sweet bell pepper and fresh cilantro.

For the sauce, I used a mixture of 1 cup fresh lime juice, with a half cup of fruit juice.  I like to add in a sweet flavor to ceviche to balance out the lime and jalapeño flavor, and fruit juice is perfect for that.

The key to good ceviche in my opinion (besides adding in something sweet) is to make sure everything is really finely diced, including the fish.  Bigger chunks take longer to cook with the lime juice, and your fish will end up tasting too much like lime because it needed to soak in so much of it.  

Keep the fish chunks small, and it will cook quicker and taste lighter.

The Trick To Avocados

Avocados can be tough. At first they're hard as a rock, and the next minute they're so overly ripe that they've turned black.  To get the perfect avocado, choose one at the store that is just slightly soft.  I remove the stem at the store, and if it's bright green underneath, you're good to go.  

Next, cut it in half lengthwise, and use a knife to remove the pit.  You can click here to see a great tutorial on how to do this safely.  

To dice it, leave the skin on, and gently make cuts into the avocado as shown in the picture below. Then remove the skin gently so you don't smash your diced avocado.

Once you assemble everything in a bowl, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour.

Serving Your Ceviche

Before serving your ceviche, drain the lime and fruit juice out, and add in more of each to taste, including salt. You can serve this with simple tortilla chips or with patacones (fried plantains).  

Either is delicious, although the chips are a lot less of a hassle!

Serve this cold for an appetizer or a light summer meal when it's too hot to cook.  It stores well in the fridge for one day, and is a great way to use up some of your freshly caught striped bass!

If you would like to print out a hard copy of this recipe, then please click here or on the image below.

Ceviche is a dish that I regularly encounter when traveling in Costa Rica or somewhere tropical. However, ceviche also works beautifully with many of the fish available in the waters off Cape Cod.

Please let me know if you have any questions by leaving a comment below. I would love to hear how things go if you decide to give this ceviche striped bass recipe a try!

Happy Cooking