CHEF BLOG: Executive Chef Javier's Peruvian Ceviche

Wednesday, August 11, 2021 by

Introduction

Marinated fish, or what I grew up as a child called “ceviche”. When anyone talks about Peruvian food, ceviche is usually the first dish that is brought up.  The main traditional Peruvian ingredients are regionally found starting from the type of fish “corbina”,  the citrus a blend of lime and sweet lemon “lima” cooks the raw fish and infuses a great tanginess, the sweet potato “camote” adds a touch of sweetness that cuts the spice from the hot pepper “aji recoto”, the Peruvian corn also called  “choclo” covers the starch aspect of the meal. 

This dish is quick and easy to prepare, it is cost effective and can be enjoyed in both hot and cold weather. I hope you enjoy this dish as much as I do. Buen Provecho! - Executive Chef Javier Alarco

# of servings: 

5

Prep Time: 

5-10 minutes 

Cook Time: 

 10-20 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

  • 450g Canadian Pollock (or your favorite fish) cut into (either thin strips or diced cubes) 

  • 3 limes (juice the lime) 

  • 56g red onion peeled, cut julienne (very thinly sliced)  

  • 1 tsp Salt 

  • ¼ tsp Pepper ground 

  • 1 Cilantro Sprig – optional 

  • Scotch Bonnet pepper (or your favorite fresh hot pepper) 

  • 1 Sweet Potato (boiled with skin on) 

  • Corn Garnish – optional 

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Cut fish into thin strips or small cubes, place in glass bowl and add 1/2 teaspoon of salt, cover and refrigerate while you prepare the onions , juice the limes and boil the sweet potato. 

  2. Place your cut fish, half of the sliced onions, cilantro sprig, and hot peppers in a glass bowl and pour the lime juice over the ingredients. Sprinkle with a little bit more salt. 

  3. Cover and refrigerate for about 10-20 minutes. 

  4. Remove the cilantro sprig and the hot peppers from the mix. Taste the fish ceviche and add additional salt if needed. 

  5. Garnish with fresh corn and peeled boiled sweet potatoes. 

ANY ADDITIONAL NOTES/TIPS (i.e. substitutions/swaps):

Please note this Peruvian recipe is only one of many versions from many different countries. Ecuador / Mexico / many Central American as well as Caribbean countries flirt with their versions. Some recipes will call for tomatoes / soy sauce / garlic / bell peppers, etc. All versions are tasty and focus on regional availability. Types of fish can greatly alter your flavour profile and authenticity, my favorite fish to use after Canadian fish would be “corvina” that is found on coastal Peru. I grew up enjoying this dish, we would reserve the creamy liquid left after marinating the fish  a booster juice called “ leche de tigre” and drink on the side.