Sort-of Ceviche

Today I decided to make ceviche for dinner. Unfortunately, it was an impulse decision, so I didn't have a chance to go shopping for all the proper ingredients. And then I lost my nerve and half-cooked it anyway. Next time I will know to make sure the fish pieces are all the same thickness. I had some bigger chunks that didn't really get... ceviched... all the way through. Since I lacked the chiles and olives and... well, pretty much all the ingredients for a traditional ceviche, I used red pepper flakes for heat and... called it good. I cooked my onions, thinly-sliced, because I can't handle raw onion, even if it's had a long citrus bath.

Ingredients

1 pound halibut, carefully cut into equal inch-ish pieces

1/4 cup grapefruit juice

1/4 cup lime juice (1 really juicy lime)

generous splash of vermouth

1 inch-long knob of ginger, peeled and grated

3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1 pinch red pepper flakes

1 small onion, thinly-sliced, almost-caramelized in bacon fat

2 tablespoons or so fresh parsley, minced

1/8 teaspoon dried oregano

Combine the juices, vermouth, ginger, garlic, and pepper flakes in a non-metal bowl. (Yes, it is important that it not be metal.) Toss in the fish, stir, and stick in the fridge for 3 hours. Check on it every now and then, to stir again. Bits of fish that stick snugly to other bits of fish won't get enough citrus magic to "cook" them.
Since I had many raw-looking bits still, I cooked mine real quick in some olive oil and butter, and served it with the onions over rice. Oh... and drain the fish before serving... plenty of flavor sticks to the fish without the need for all that tart juice.
It was scrumptious.