Recipe for Peruvian Fish Ceviche (Ceviche de Pescado)

If you are looking for healthy food you have come to the right place. In this entry we will show you how to make Peruvian ceviche with ingredients found in the US.Ceviche is basically Peru's national dish. There are many recipes for Ceviches but here I am laying out a simple recipe that is mostly used in Peru's north coast.  "Ceviche Limeño", or Lima ceviche, for example, tends to have additional ingredients such as garlic, a bit of oil, and finely chopped celery. If you have never eaten ceviche, it is very similar to sushi or more specifically sashimi.  In fact I have at times been to Japanese restaurants where they serve yellow tail sashimi over a bit of lime juice and with topped with jalapeno slices. It tasted very very similar to peruvian ceviche's not-so-distant cousing tiradito. My point is if you like sushi and sashimi you will also probably like ceviche.

Here I am adapting the recipe so that it can be prepared from ingredients found at most grocery stores. Take note that even though the fish is briefly cured and marinated in lime juice, it is still raw fish and carries with it similar risks to what you find with other raw food such as sushi, etc. That being said, I eat this all the time and never get sick, so without further ado, here's the recipe. 

Recipe Ingredients:

½ medium sized red onion

1lb tilapia, filleted

1 tbs. + 1tsp. salt

1/2 cup lime juice from freshly squeezed limes (key limes, if possible)

½ a bunch of Cilantro

1 small hot pepper (jalapeno, Peruvian peppers (aji amarillo or rocoto), or pepper of your choice)

How to Prepare Peruvian Ceviche (Simple Recipe)

We’re starting off with 1 lb of flash frozen tilapia that was defrosted by placing it under running cold water.

Step 1- Slice tilapia filet in half so you have about a 1 inch wide strip of fish

Step 2- Slice the strip of tilapia into bite-size pieces. Slice at an angle so as to maximize surface area. For best results, tilt the knife, rather than having it perpendicular to your cutting board.

So, as you go along, you should build a pile like this:

Step 3- Place fish into a container, flatten out as much as possible and expose as much of the fish as possible. Distribute 1 tbs. of salt evenly over the fish. Move fish around with a spoon so as to coat all sides with salt. Once finished, add an additional ½ tsp on top and place in refrigerator for 15 minutes. The reason for salting the fish is to dehydrate it as much as possible so that it can soak up the lime juice that we will add later on. 

Step4- Squeeze enough limes to make about ½ a cup of juice. It is best to use key limes, when possible. Key limes are smaller than regular limes and have a tarter flavor. Key limes most closely approximate the type of limes that are found in Peru. Since there are so many limes to squeeze, we recommend using a lime squeezer such as this one or this one to expedite the process (it will also catch most of the seeds).  I use the more expensive stainless steel squeezer, and it works out great for me. The limes will release more juice when they are at room temperature-so either plan ahead and leave them out at room temperature for about a half hour, or put in the microwave for a few seconds. While squeezing the limes can be a pain, it is worth it! Lime juice from a bottle will NOT work.

Step 5- Julienne the onion. See here for an earlier entry that describes how to do it.

Step 6- Grab the top off of half a bunch of cilantro and give it a rough chop (cut on your board lengthwise and then widthwise, while rocking the knife)

Step 7- Remove fish from fridge and pour about 1/3 of a cup of lime juice over fish

Step 8- Prepare the hot pepper. A word of caution: since these are very hot, either use gloves while cutting it or wash your hands very thoroughly after slicing and refrain from touching your eyes for at least a couple hours afterwards...this stuff burns!  To slice the pepper, first remove seeds from inside and then cut into thin strips, and finally, cut those strips into minuscule pieces.
 Although you can use jalapeno or something else I am using a Peruvian yellow pepper called "aji amarillo".  I found them whole in brine at my supermarket but if you feel lazy and still want to have this pepper's unique flavor you can often find the paste at supermarkets or order it here or here with one click.  Another Peruvian pepper which is often used is "rocoto" but I have found this is harder to come by in the US (although the rocoto paste isn't--find it here.)

Step 9- After the fish has soaked in the lime juice for about 5 minutes, add to the fish the onions, cilantro and about 1/3 of the hot pepper that you have just chopped. Mix together. Add the rest of the lime juice.  Then, taste to determine the level of spiciness. Gradually add more hot pepper until you arrive at your desired heat level. 

Step 10- Let the ceviche sit in the fridge for about 10 minutes. Then it is ready to eat. This is a step that differentiates Peruvian ceviche from other types.  Letting it sit too long will cause the fish to lose its tenderness and make it over acidic.   

Usually, we serve ceviche on single leaf of lettuce with a slice of corn and a slice sweet potato on the side.  One of the best parts of ceviche is the "leche de tigre," or "tiger's milk," which is the juice left over on your plate from the ceviche. We usually eat that with a spoon or you can order a shot of it in Peruvian restaurants as a cure for hangovers. It is delicious. Enjoy!