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.
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.
Preparation:
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.
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.