When Seafood Doesn't Need to Be Cooked to Be Utterly Delicious
There's something truly special about going to a top notch seafood restaurant and enjoying the best the ocean has to offer, perfectly cooked. Of course, not all seafood actually needs to be cooked. There are some truly delectable seafood dishes from around the world where the seafood in question isn't technically cooked. Some of them you might have heard of, but some of them might be an unexpected treat. When properly prepared, these dishes have a wonderfully delicate flavour, and your stomach will thank you if you decide to order them the next time you're sitting down at a seafood restaurant.
Ceviche
Generally associated with Peru but also enjoyed in other parts of Latin America, ceviche arguably undergoes a form of cooking, although an oven isn't involved. Many different types of fish can be used to make ceviche, just as long as it's fresh. The fish is marinated in lemon and/or lime, and while it's still raw, the citric acid exposes the fish to a form of cooking. It's then salted, and can be mixed with red onions and coriander (or any number of variations). The taste is refreshing, and the texture of the fish on your tongue is a revelation.
Tuna Tartare
Similar to a steak tartare, but obviously made with minced tuna steak instead. It tastes vastly different to the canned tuna you might know, and the raw, seasoned minced tuna has a greater depth of flavour and is certainly meatier. You could also try tuna carpaccio. This is wafer-thin slices of marinated raw tuna.
Seafood Sashimi
You might have already tried this one as part of a sushi platter, and seafood sashimi is essentially a Japanese dish that shares a number of similarities with carpaccio. It's seafood that is sliced extremely thinly, served with a dipping sauce and other condiments that can be mixed to your liking. Seafood sashimi is generally made from salmon, tuna, or squid. So-called octopus sashimi doesn't quite meet the true definition of sashimi, as it needs to be briefly cooked to counter its tough and rubbery texture.
Soused Herring
Soused can mean drunk, but soused herrings have not been plied with alcohol. These young herrings have simply been placed in a heavily salted liquid, which flavours them. They are then eaten raw. It's a strong taste, and in many instances a soused herring will be a garnish or side dish as opposed to the star of the show. Popular in Scandinavian countries, this strong, fishy taste results in a hearty dining experience.
On paper, a raw seafood dish might not sound all that appetizing. The opposite is true when you actually eat these sensational dishes.
