Fijian Kokoda Recipe
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb of Yellowfin, Ahi, or King salmon cut into 3/4” cubes
- 1 1/2 cups of fresh squeezed lime juice (~12 limes)
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1/2 cup of finely chopped bell peppers – red, yellow, green, and/or orange
- Handful of cherry tomatoes cut in half or 2 roma tomatoes chopped
- 1 Jalapeno or serrano, finely chopped
- 2–3 Spring onions finely chopped
- 1 Shallot or onion finely chopped
- Salt
Instructions
- Cut fish into 1″ cubes if buying larger pieces – leave skin off
- Place fish in a container or resealable bag and add lime juice
- Make sure all of the fish is thoroughly coated; be very generous with the lime juice
- Let fish marinate in the fridge for 4-6 hours or overnight (see note #2)
- Using a strainer or by hand, remove the fish and discard the liquid
- Place fish in a mixing bowl and add a pinch of salt. Mix gently.
- In the same mixing bowl, combine the marinated fish, coconut milk, bell peppers, tomatoes, green onions, and shallots. Taste your chopped chili pepper to gauge spiciness, and add according to personal tolerance.
- Mix gently and add additional lime juice and salt to taste.
Best served immediately or kept refrigerated for up to 3 days
Notes
1. Almost any kind of fish or seafood can be used in Kokoda. The important part is that it’s fresh in order to have the best texture and lowest risk of causing illness. Tell your fishmonger that you’re preparing a ceviche-style dish, and ask what he or she would recommend as the freshest fish.
2. Marination time depends on how you’d like your ceviche to turn out. If you want a fully opaque, flaky fish, you have to marinate the 3/4″ inch cubes overnight. If you enjoy medium rare fish such as seared tuna, then only 4-6 hours are needed. If you’re running short on time, you can cut the fish into half-inch cubes to cut down marination times.