Ceviche

Peruvian Ceviche

Peru's national dish: firm white fish 'cooked' in fresh lime juice with ají chilli and red onion, served with sweet potato and choclo corn. Use the freshest fish you can find — it is eaten raw after marination, so quality and cold handling are everything.

Prep

25 min

Cook

10 min

Total

35 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •600 g (1 lb 5 oz) skinless white fish (sea bass, corvina or halibut), sashimi-grade; previously frozen at -20°C / -4°F for 7 days for parasite safety — see step 1
• •180 ml (¾ cup) freshly squeezed lime juice, about 10–12 key limes; bottled juice will not give the right flavour
• •1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
• •2 fresh ají amarillo chillies, Peruvian yellow chilli, seeded and finely minced; substitute with 1–2 jalapeños plus 1 tsp ají amarillo paste
• •1 garlic clove garlic, finely grated
• •15 g (1 cup loosely packed) fresh coriander leaves and tender stems, chopped
• •1 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice, optional, rounds out the acidity
• •1 tsp fine sea salt, plus more to taste
• •400 g (14 oz) sweet potato, 1 large, peeled and cut into 3 cm / 1¼ in chunks
• •1 ear choclo (Peruvian corn), substitute with 1 ear of fresh corn, kernels left in big pieces, or frozen choclo kernels
• •30 g (¼ cup) cancha (toasted Peruvian corn), for crunch; optional but traditional
• •1 whole lettuce leaf, for serving, optional

Steps

1. 1 STEP 1 — Fish safety (mandatory). Ceviche is eaten raw after citrus marination, which does not kill parasites. Use sashimi-grade fish from a trusted fishmonger. If you cannot confirm it has been frozen for parasite control, freeze it at -20°C / -4°F (or colder) for 7 days, or -35°C / -31°F for 15 hours, then thaw it overnight in the refrigerator. Keep the fish refrigerated until the moment you use it.
2. 2 STEP 2 — Prep the onion. Toss the sliced red onion with 1 tsp salt and cover with cold water. Soak for 10 minutes, then drain and rinse. This softens the sharpness. Squeeze the slices well in a clean kitchen towel to remove excess water.
3. 3 STEP 3 — Cook the sweet potato. Place the sweet potato chunks in a saucepan, cover with cold salted water and bring to a gentle boil. Cook for 12–15 minutes, until a knife slides in with no resistance (internal temperature about 95°C / 203°F). Drain and keep warm. Boil the corn in the same water for 6–8 minutes until tender; drain.
4. 4 STEP 4 — Cut the fish. Pat the fish dry and cut into 2 cm / ¾ in cubes. Keep cold.
5. 5 STEP 5 — Make the leche de tigre. In a glass or stainless steel bowl (never aluminium), combine the lime juice, minced ají, grated garlic, orange juice if using, and 1 tsp salt. Stir.
6. 6 STEP 6 — Marinate the fish. Add the fish to the leche de tigre and stir gently so every piece is submerged. The fish should turn opaque and 'cook' through in 5–10 minutes — do not leave it longer than 15 minutes or it will become chalky and dry. Cut a piece in half to check: it should be uniformly opaque with no translucent centre.
7. 7 STEP 7 — Finish. Stir in the drained red onion and chopped coriander. Taste and adjust salt. The leche de tigre should taste bright, salty and spicy.
8. 8 STEP 8 — Serve immediately. Spoon the ceviche and some of the leche de tigre into chilled bowls. Plate with the warm sweet potato, the corn (kernels cut off the cob in big chunks, or loose kernels), and a small handful of cancha for crunch. A lettuce leaf is optional but traditional. Eat right away.