Peruvian Ceviche

Method

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1. Cut the fish into 2 cm cubes with a very sharp knife, cutting across the grain. Keep it refrigerated until the last moment.

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2. Soak the sliced red onion in iced water for 10 minutes to take the harshness off, then drain.

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3. For the leche de tigre, blend 100 ml of the lime juice with the chopped celery stick, garlic, ginger, half the chilli, a handful of coriander stalks and a few cubes of the fish until smooth. Strain through a fine sieve.

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4. Season the fish cubes with the salt in a cold bowl and toss for 30 seconds — salting first helps the cure work evenly.

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5. Add the remaining lime juice and the strained leche de tigre and stir gently.

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6. Cure for 10 to 15 minutes only, stirring once. The fish should turn opaque on the outside and stay slightly translucent at the centre.

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7. Fold through the drained onion, remaining chilli and chopped coriander.

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8. Serve immediately in chilled bowls with the leche pooled underneath, alongside sweet potato, corn and lettuce leaves. The leftover leche de tigre is traditionally drunk from a small glass.

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Chef’s Tips

• Buy fish from a fishmonger you trust and use it the day you buy it. This is a raw dish in every meaningful sense.
• Cold bowl, cold fish, cold juice. Warmth speeds the cure past the point you want.
• Never let ceviche sit. Fifteen minutes is the outer limit before the texture goes.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• A pinch of dried chilli flakes works in place of fresh chilli — start with about a third of the quantity the chilli in the list implies, since dried chilli is more concentrated, and add more to taste.
• Lemon is the everyday swap for limes in this kind of dish — the acidity plays the same role even though the flavour is not identical.
• A quarter-teaspoon of ground ginger per tablespoon of fresh is the standard ratio if you are working from the spice rack rather than a fresh root.

Pairing Suggestions

• A pisco sour, or a cold lager
• Serve with sweet potato and corn, which balance the acidity
• Follow with a grilled main

Storage & Reheating

Must be eaten immediately. The leche de tigre keeps 1 day and makes an excellent dressing or hangover cure.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.