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It’s no secret that Peruvian food, as a well respected latin american cuisine, is filled with choices to eat for every mood, occasion and even weather. One of the best dishes to eat on a hot day is a deliciously fresh Peruvian ceviche. You can make it with fish, shellfish, shrimps, mixed and they are all a zest fest for your palate.
So if you’d like to welcome one of the best Peruvian recipes ever invented to your home, keep on reading!
Important things to know about Peruvian Ceviche
Before you start making one of the most fresh and delicious recipes of all Peruvian food, there are some aspects you need to know. This because you are dealing with delicate ingredients which, if prepared incorrectly, could cause harm to your health.
The absolute best types of fish you can use to make the perfect Peruvian ceviche are hake or grouper cut in filets. You can try using other types as long as the one you choose is completely fresh, with no weird smells and no spines. You can’t cook Peruvian ceviche using frozen fillets, so try to buy the fish the very same day you’re cooking it.
Another important aspect of this dish is that you must NEVER let the fish macerate or “cook” in the lemon juice for more than 10 minutes, no matter what you hear or read it’s a huge mistake that cannot happen in Peruvian cuisine. The best and average time to macerate it is 5 minutes and right to eating it.
Along with the right type of fish, the Peruvian aji es, without a doubt, the star of this recipe. It’s important that you remove correctly the central part of the ají because that’s where most of it’s spice comes from. Some people choose to add some aji paste to the mix and that usually adds up a great and stronger taste.
Ingredients for Peruvian Ceviche:
- 2 hake or grouper fillets
- 1 Peruvian yellow ají
- 1 large lime
- 1 medium purple onion
- Fresh coriander or cilantro
- Salt to taste
Side dish and side treats for the Peruvian Ceviche:
- 1 cup of yellow corn
- 1 pink yam or sweet potato
- Corn, potatoes or banana chips or nachos
Preparation:
- The first step to make Peruvian ceviche is to slice very thinly the purple onion and put it in water for about 10 minutes. This is a very important trick that helps minimize the strong smell and flavour of any type of onion.
- Slice the yellow ají in thin slices, be very careful not to leave any seeds or even veins in the ají, because that’s where the spiciest flavour comes from.
- Clean thoroughly the fish you chose and chop it in ½ inch dices, they don’t have to be perfect but try to make them all the same size.
- Chop the coriander or cilantro very finely. (You can also try some cilantro sauce to make the dish juicier)
- If you want to make one of the recommended side dishes, boil the yams or sweet potatoes after peeling them well, wait until they are tender and keep set aside.
These steps you just read are the main preparation for the ingredients you’ll mix up for your Peruvian ceviche, now you can begin putting everything together.
- Mix the fish, purple onion, coriander and a dash of salt in a bowl big enough to fit and mix your ingredients comfortably.
- Right after mixing add the lime juice and keep mixing.
- Try to serve your Peruvian ceviche 10 minutes at the most after adding the lemon juice, remember the idea is not to let it “overcook” with the acid of the juice.
- To get a nice presentation for your dish, serve it with slices of yams and yellow corn on the side. You can also put them apart on the table and let people serve them if they wish.
- Try scooping your delicious Peruvian ceviche with the corn, potatoes or banana chips or nachos. It’ll taste great!
After you finish your delicious Peruvian ceviche, you’ll notice a white liquid left in the bowl or plate; it’s called “Leche de Tigre” or “tiger’s milk”. This liquid is nothing but the juices of each and every ingredient and it tastes delicious. You can drink it after you’re finished eating or even pour it on shot glasses with an alcoholic beverage such as Pisco.
