Ceviche, Potato Tacos, and Margaritas: a brief but tasty return to Tucson

I went home to Arizona last week for my brother’s wedding and had a fantastic time! Annie and I were tasked with making margaritas for 100, which turned out pretty well–though it took over an hour of just juicing limes. It was a lovely ceremony and reception and a chance to catch up with some old friends. Huge congratulations to my brother! Later in the week Chris, one of my oldest and closest friends, and I got together and made dinner for us and his parents. We put together the meal below and it came out fantastically without much effort. The bright, tangy ceviche is simple but still nuanced, and its offer beautifully by the crunchy, comforting potato tacos. I’ve also included our margarita recipe, which included a secret ingredient in the form of just a tiny bit of Annie’s home-infused habanero vodka. It’s totally optional, but I recommend it; it won’t make the drink blow your head off, but it gives it a nice bit of a tingle. Enjoy! 

Ceviche 

1.5 lbs red snapper (or other firm whitefish you like)

1 cup lime juice (approximately 8 limes) 

1 avocado, cubed

1/2 red onion, finely sliced

Minced habanero, to taste

2 garlic cloves, crushed 

1 tsp chili powder

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Slice snapper into thin bite size pieces. Add to a bowl along with the onion, garlic, and habanero. Season with salt and chili powder. 
2. Pour over the lime juice and toss until all fish is well coated and most is submerged. 
3. Let steep 15-30 minutes, checking periodically, until fish reaches desired doneness. Halfway through, gently fold in the avocado so it is not crushed. 
4. Adjust seasonings to taste and serve with chips, tortillas, or rice. 

Potato Tacos

2 large or 3 medium russet potatoes

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tsp butter

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 roma tomato, chopped fine

1 tsp ground cumin (toasted and fresh-ground would be ideal) 

1/2 tsp smoked or hot paprika

~1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar (adjust to taste) 

Heavy dash mexican hot sauce (opt)

12-20 corn tortillas

Neutral oil for frying. 

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Peel and cube potatoes as you would for ordinary mashed potatoes.
2. Boil in salted water until soft. Drain well. 
3. Add olive oil, butter, and tomato. Mash together until well combined
4. Add vinegar, spices, and hot sauce, adjusting to taste
5. Warm tortillas until soft and pliable 
6. In a large skillet or frying pan, add a quarter-inch of oil and heat through on medium high
7. Fill each tortilla with 1-2 tablespoons of filling, spreading almost to the edge and pressing down.
8. Shallow fry tacos 1-2 minutes per side until golden brown and crunchy
9. Drain on a rack or paper towels and serve immediately with salsa of your choice. 

Smoky Spicy Margaritas 

I like my margaritas pretty dry, but if you want to add sweetness, go for agave syrup, maybe a half teaspoon per drink. 

Per drink:
1.5 oz good blanco tequila (I like Agavales for a high-quality but budget friendly pick)

0.5 oz high-quality smoky mezcal (I recommend Xicaru)

1 tsp habanero-inflused vodka (optional, see below)

1 oz triple sec (Cointreau is lovely, but DeKuyper works just fine) 

1 oz fresh-squeezed lime juice (approx 1lime), plus 1 large lime wedge per drink f

For salt rims, if using: 

~1/4 cup kosher salt 

2 tsp Tajín powder or chili powder (optional)

1. If doing a salt rim, mix the kosher salt and seasoning powder together and place on a small plate or saucer. Run a lime wedge around the rim of each glass, invert, place into the spiced salt, and rotate until lightly covered.
2. In a cocktail shaker with ice, combine tequila, mezcal, triple sec, and lime juice, and shake vigorously. 
3. Strain into prepared glass and garnish with the lime wedge 

To make habanero vodka, add one halved and seeded habanero to a bottle of vodka and let steep for up to a week before straining into another bottle for ongoing use. Infusion process can be accelerated by leaving in a warm place or even outside in direct sunlight. For an even hotter spirit, leave in the seeds. The result will be both fruity and quite hot (though still very drinkable) without being bitter. Use in small quantities to add heat to other drinks. And if the thought of even a tablespoon of vodka in a margarita weirds you out, I’m sure the same trick would work with blanco tequila.