Peruvian Ceviche
Fresh white fish 'cooked' in lime juice with red onion, chili, and cilantro.
Seafood
⚠ Contains: Fish. Always check your own ingredients — this isn't a guarantee for severe allergies.
How this varies: Older-generation or provincial Peruvian households sometimes still favor a longer marinade (20-30 minutes) that fully "cooks" the fish through — a legitimate, older regional style, but distinct from the modern Lima-style technique used here.
Ingredients
- 500g very fresh white fish fillet (sea bass, flounder, or similar), cut into 2cm cubes
- 3/4 - 1 cup fresh lime juice (Key lime / limón if available — more tart than standard Persian lime)
- 1/2 red onion, very thinly sliced, rinsed and soaked in ice water 10 minutes, then drained
- 1 aji limo or rocoto chili, finely chopped (habanero as a substitute if unavailable)
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- 1-inch piece ginger, grated (optional, for leche de tigre depth)
- Cilantro, chopped, plus a few whole leaves for the marinade
- Salt, to taste
- Sweet potato and corn (choclo), boiled, to serve
Steps
- Season the fish cubes generously with salt just before marinating; keep chilled until ready to combine.
- In a bowl, combine lime juice, garlic, ginger, chili, and a few cilantro leaves — this is the leche de tigre base. Let it steep 5-10 minutes, then strain out the solids if a clean marinade is wanted.
- Add the fish cubes to the strained (or unstrained, for a chunkier style) lime mixture. Toss and marinate only 2-5 minutes — the outside should turn opaque while the center stays slightly translucent. Do not marinate longer; over-marinating toughens and overcooks the fish.
- Stir in the drained, rinsed red onion and chopped cilantro just before serving.
- Serve immediately, spooning extra leche de tigre over the top, with boiled sweet potato and choclo on the side.