Mexican Rockfish Ceviche

Ingredients

1 lb  skinless rockfish, cut into ½ inch dice
1 ½ cups fresh lime juice
1 medium white onion, chopped into ½ inch pieces
2 medium-large tomatoes (about 1 lb), chopped into ½ inch pieces
Fresh hot green chiles (2 to 3 serranos or 1 to 2 jalapeños), stemmed, seeded and finely chopped
1 cucumber, seeds removed, finely chopped
1 bunch radishes, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
⅓ cup chopped cilantro, plus a few leaves for garnish
1 to 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (optional)
Pinch of salt
3 Tbsp fresh orange juice or ½ teaspoon sugar
1 large or 2 small ripe avocados, peeled, pitted and diced
Tostadas, tortilla chips or crackers, for serving

Directions

1. In a 1 ½ quart glass or stainless steel bowl, combine the fish, lime juice and onion. Use enough juice to cover the fish and allow it to float freely; too little juice means unevenly “cooked” fish.
2. Cover and refrigerate for about 4 hours, until a cube of fish no longer looks raw when broken open. Drain in a colander.
3. In a large bowl, mix together the tomatoes, green chiles, cucumber, radishes, garlic, cilantro, and optional olive oil. Stir in the fish and season with salt, usually about 1/2 teaspoon.
4. Add the orange juice or sugar. Cover and refrigerate if not serving immediately. Just before serving, gently stir in the diced avocado.

Working ahead: The fish may be marinated a day in advance; after about 4 hours, when the fish is “cooked,” drain it so that it won’t become too tangy. For the freshest flavor, add the flavorings to the fish no more than a couple of hours before serving.