This summer has been full of small adventures, and one of the most memorable so far started with very little sleep, an early morning boat ride, and a cooler that came home packed with striped bass.
Last weekend, I was staying at my friend Kate’s share house in Montauk. On Sunday morning, one of her housemates organized a casual fishing trip. Under normal circumstances, going to bed at 1 a.m. and waking up only six hours later to climb onto a boat would not be my first choice for a relaxing weekend activity. But I had only been fishing once before in my life, and as a devoted city mouse, I decided it was worth saying yes.
I expected we might return with a few fish, and I had very low expectations for my own fishing skills. I pictured myself mostly watching from the sidelines, cheering everyone else on, and maybe holding a rod long enough for a photo. As it turned out, I was completely wrong.
The first catch of the day was too small to bring back to shore, so the fisherman filleted it right on the boat and brought out soy sauce for a little 9 a.m. sashimi breakfast. The fish was incredibly mild, clean, and flavorful. It might not have been the ideal meal for a slightly tired morning, but it was still one of those simple food moments that feels impossible to recreate anywhere else.
We soon started a friendly competition to see who could catch the biggest bass. After recovering from nearly losing my breakfast overboard, I somehow managed to reel in an approximately 30-pound striped bass. It ended up being the second biggest fish of the day, but I was still very impressed with what my grocery-carrying, skillet-wielding muscles managed to do with a fishing rod.
Everyone caught at least two fish, which meant we returned to shore with a lot of striped bass. The fisherman filleted everything incredibly quickly, and each of us left with more than five pounds of fresh fish. I froze most of mine, but the timing was perfect because I already knew I needed to work on some fish taco recipes that week.
Since the sashimi on the boat had been so delicious, I decided to skip my usual baked striped bass and turn part of the day’s catch into a bright, citrusy striped bass ceviche. It felt like the best possible way to highlight the mild flavor of the fish without covering it up. The lemon and lime juice add sharpness, the tomatoes bring sweetness, the chiles add heat, and the cilantro and scallions keep everything fresh.
I do not usually brag about my own recipes, but this seafood ceviche recipe turned out beautifully. It is quick to assemble, light, refreshing, and full of flavor. The hardest part is waiting while the fish rests in the citrus marinade. Once it turns soft and opaque, it is ready to serve with tortilla chips as an appetizer or as part of a simple taco bar with avocado.
This striped bass ceviche is especially good for warm weather meals because it requires no stovetop, no oven, and very little prep. It is the kind of dish that tastes like summer: fresh fish, bright citrus, herbs, chiles, and just enough salt to pull everything together. I liked it so much that I immediately started thinking about making a second batch for lunches during the week.
I will share more soon about the other ways I used the rest of the day’s catch, but for now, this easy striped bass ceviche recipe is the one I keep coming back to. If your summer has included any memorable weekend adventures, I would love to hear about them.
Xo
Phoebe
Striped Bass Ceviche
This striped bass ceviche is a fresh, citrusy seafood recipe made with tomatoes, chiles, scallions, cilantro, lemon, lime, honey, and sea salt. Serve it as an appetizer with tortilla chips or make it part of a taco bar with avocado.
10 minutes
4
Phoebe Lapine
Ingredients
- 1 cup diced tomatoes
- 2 Fresno chiles seeds removed and thinly sliced
- 1 small serrano chile pepper seeds removed and minced
- 2 scallions thinly sliced
- ¼ cup finely chopped cilantro
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Juice of 4 limes
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1 pound fresh skinless striped bass or other firm white fish fillets cut into 1/2-inch dice
Instructions
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In a medium mixing bowl, combine the tomatoes, Fresno chiles, serrano chile, scallions, cilantro, lemon juice, lime juice, honey, and sea salt. Add the diced fish and stir until every piece is well coated.
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Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours, stirring every 20 minutes, until the fish is soft and opaque but not falling apart. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
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Serve the ceviche as an appetizer with tortilla chips, or use it as part of a taco bar with avocado.
Nutrition
If you make this striped bass ceviche, tag @phoebelapine and #feedmephoebe. I would love to see it.