Water Street Kitchen’s Black Bass Cevice

Ingredients

2 tablespoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
8 ounces fresh sea bass (any skin, bones or sinewy parts removed)
1 small red onion, minced
1 to 2 jalapeños, deseeded and minced
1 cup diced seedless watermelon diced into 1/2-inch cubes
3 tablespoons loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon black sesame seeds
Garnish: Cilantro leaves; sesame seeds, tortilla chips for serving

Instructions

In a small bowl, stir together the kosher salt and sugar (2 tablespoons each). Lay the fish on a small sheet pan lined with parchment paper and coat both sides with the salt mixture. Cover with an additional piece of parchment paper and freeze for at least 15 hours and up to 1 day. This will ensure that the fish is safe to eat.

Remove fish from the freezer and let thaw slightly. Pat dry and clean off any excess salt mixture.
Dice the fish into 1/2-inch cubes and refrigerate, covered, until ready to use.

Put the minced onion in a small bowl and cover with water. Let sit 10 minutes, then drain.

Just before serving, in a medium glass bowl, combine the fish, onion, jalapeno, watermelon, cilantro, and sesame seeds. Gently stir to combine, then add enough marinade to cover. Let marinate 3 minutes. The longer it sits the more the fish will “cook” and the texture will change.

Taste and add additional salt if needed. Divide the ceviche among 4 small bowls. Garnish with cilantro leaves and sesame seeds. Serve with chips on the side.