Wednesday, June 6, 2018

What Is the Difference Between Ceviche and Tartare?

What is the difference between ceviche and tartare?

Certain foods evoke more than just the sum of their ingredients and the flavor that’s created from them. Eating raw fish, as example, could (and probably should) mean you’re somewhere near an ocean. If you’re near an ocean, there is potential for a beach, too, and if there’s a beach, there’s a distinct possibility it’s warm and you’re sipping white wine or cocktails, listening to Lionel Richie’s “All Night Long,” and living your best damn life.

Two of the most wonderful raw(ish) seafood dishes one should always consider slotting into any such scenario, are ceviches and seafood tartares. But what exactly is the difference between the two? Where did they come from? And when you’re not at an all-inclusive resort on the coast of Peru, how does one make them?

Razor Clam Ceviche at Little Park in New York City

Razor Clam Ceviche at Little Park in New York City

Often served as appetizers, both are comprised of raw (or mostly raw) fish which is diced, seasoned, and mixed with citrus, herbs, soy sauce, and/or other binders and served with various vessels for delivery including potato crisps, corn chips, and crackers. Seafood tartare, a derivation of the classic French steak or beef variety, is commonly served completely raw while ceviche, of South and Central American descent, is denaturalized or “par-cooked” ever so slightly by a citrus marinade. There are no firm rules as to which seafood is used but some, like tuna, snapper, shrimp, salmon, sea bass, and certain shellfish, fare better than others.

Ceviche and tartare are, at once, a dish and a method for preparation, creating something of a blank canvas for their creators. Because ceviche (pronounced “suhvee-chey”) or “cebiche” was born in the Pacific coastal regions of Latin America (it’s Peru’s national dish, in fact), it is often laced with chili pepper, tomato, tropical fruits like pineapple and mango, and other bright flavors and bold spices. Though a classic French steak tartare features Western flavors like egg and Worcestershire sauce, sushi’s impact on global cuisine has jolted a flurry of Asian-inspired seafood tartares with soy, sesame, green onion, and other Eastern flare; a glimmering example of global fusion gone right.

Ceviche Sampler at Baltimore's Rye Street Tavern

Ceviche Sampler at Baltimore’s Rye Street Tavern

Because ceviche is “cooked” or “cured” in citrus, the type of fish used is of somewhat greater importance than in its Franco-Asian counterpart. Chef Adam Nadel, who heads the new al fresco seafood spot The Golden Hour, in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District, urges the use of something semi-firm like the American red snapper he cures in charred Seville orange juice with parsley, chile, and olive oil. “Soft fish will just get mealy, so [use] anything firm with bold flavors that can stand up to acid and citrus.” Time is also to be considered—more than 20 minutes of marination or less than 10 can yield unsavory results.

Tartare is a bit more of a ‘“dealer’s choice” when choosing the fish but tuna and salmon have become two of the most popular, due to their rich flavors and meaty texture. Tartare is named for the “tartar” sauce its beefy older brother was often served with, but modern seafood adaptations are more commonly mixed with soy, citrus, and bright herbs and served with rice crackers, tortilla chips, or simply over greens or avocado.

salmon tartare

Borja Merino/Shutterstock

There are endless variations on ceviche and seafood tartare recipes; enough to see you through a thousand summers. Light and bright, they make for perfect poolside or patio eats and the method lends itself to the experimentation of flavor and fish. But since we’re talking raw, it should go without saying: The fresher the better. It’s also worth noting the denaturalization process may be similar to cooking but does not rid fish of bacteria. If all else fails and you find you just aren’t the raw fish type of guy or gal, do as Mark Bittman suggests in his 2002 New York Times article and just cook the stuff. We won’t tell.

Here are some recipes to get you started:

Shrimp Ceviche

Shrimp Ceviche

Chowhound

A classic shrimp ceviche with Mexican influence is mixed with avocado and served with tortilla chips. Get our Shrimp Ceviche recipe.

Snapper Ceviche with Chiles and Herbs

Snapper Ceviche with Chiles and Herbs

Chowhound

An orange juice marinade used in this snapper ceviche will net a slightly sweeter dish. Get our Snapper Ceviche with Chiles and Herbs recipe.

Razor Clam Ceviche

razor clam ceviche

Fat of the Land

Razor clams won’t wilt or mush in the face of acidic lime juice in this version of ceviche. Get the recipe.

Tuna Tartare with Avocado and Crispy Shallots

Tuna Tartare with Avocado and Crispy Shallots

Chowhound

This tuna tartare from BLT Steak is worth making at home and combines a sweet-hot sauce with crunchy shallots. Get BLT Steak’s Tuna Tartare with Avocado and Crispy Shallots recipe.

Sockeye Salmon Tartare

Sockeye Salmon Tartare

Chowhound

Use fresh quality sockeye salmon and lots of fresh herbs for this tartare. Get our Sockeye Salmon Tartare recipe.



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How Much Caffeine Do You Need? This Algorithm Can Figure It Out

Millions of Americans rely on caffeine to make it through their daily grind, however when and how much of the miracle substance we consume can deeply impact its effectiveness on our alertness.

That’s where the research of Dr. Jaques Reifman comes in. He’s trying to help us figure out the optimum times for our coffee breaks with his new algorithm. His work with the U.S. army was recently published in the Journal of Sleep Research and it’s pretty fascinating. By dosing subjects with caffeine at four different states of sleep loss, they were able to determine different levels of effectiveness when faced with psychomotor vigilance task (PVT) tests.

According to an interview with Reifman in Science Daily, “We found that by using our algorithm, which determines when and how much caffeine a subject should consume, we can improve alertness by up to 64 percent, while consuming the same total amount of caffeine.” Not only could did they find increased cognitive performance, but they also found that they could reduce total caffeine consumption by 17 to 65 percent based on previous studies. In other words, specifically tailored caffeine intakes have the potential to be more effective than haphazard consumption.

While the algorithm isn’t available to the public just yet, it is being tested on soldiers during training and the U.S. Army intends to license the technology. In the meantime, civilians can utilize the 2B-Alert Mobile app, which provides a less personalized variation of the algorithm. Over time, the app learns the user’s response to sleep and caffeine. It then predicts when you may need an extra jolt of the stuff.

Future studies are likely to take place to further perfect the algorithm. The potential to optimize caffeine consumption could have a lot of implications far beyond its military origins. We may never have to down an entire pot of espresso in one sitting to pull an all-nighter ever again!



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Oatmeal Cookie Ice Cream

Oatmeal Cookie Ice CreamGet Recipe!


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Buffalo Blue Cheese Deviled Eggs

Deviled Eggs with Blue Cheese

As a kid, I thought deviled eggs were quite possibly just that: Of the devil.

Not that I ever ate them. Even now that I have the gift of hindsight, I can’t say what governed my sensibilities around deviled eggs as a child. Or any other food for that matter, which is a common trial many parents face when feeding their children. I was no exception.

The fact that deviled eggs looked kind of gross—regardless of the fact that I actually loved eggs, mustard, and mayo—was reason enough.

Continue reading "Buffalo Blue Cheese Deviled Eggs" »



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Cucumber Raitha (Indian Yogurt Condiment)

Cucumber Raitha (Indian Yogurt Condiment)Get Recipe!


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