Some of the Crew from Finz Dive Center are just getting back from Venice Louisiana, After a week of catching Yellow-fin tuna with Reel Fly Charters. Now its time to eat something delicious.

‘Ota ika is a Polynesian dish, similar to Latin ceviche, consisting of raw fish marinated in citrus juice and coconut milk. The Tongan, Tahitian, and Samoan variants are essentially identical in that the raw fish is briefly marinated in lemon or lime juice until the surface of the flesh becomes opaque. The fish is then mixed with coconut milk and diced vegetables (most commonly cucumber, tomato, onion, green onion, and spicy peppers). The word “ota” means “raw” in Samoan, Tongan, and Tahitian, although the more common term for the dish in French Polynesia is its French equivalent, “poisson cru“ (literally, “raw fish”).

Ingredients:

• 1¾ pounds of fresh tuna (sushi grade)
• ½ cucumber (3½ ounces)
• 1 tomato (1¾ ounces)
• 1 green pepper
• 1 large onion
• 8 limes (juiced)
• 1 glass coconut milk
• Salt and pepper
  

  Poisson Cru

Preparation:

• Dice the fish into ½-inch cubes, rinse with fresh water, drain and place in a large bowl.
• Squeeze the limes and pour the juice over the fish, mix well and chill 20 minutes in refrigerator.
• Cut onion and green pepper into thin slices, cut tomato into small cubes, remove seeds from cucumber and cut into thin half moons.
• Drain some of the lime juice, add the vegetables and season with salt and pepper.
• Add the coconut milk five minutes before serving.
• Serve chilled.
• Makes: 4 servings