Ceviche (also spelled cebiche, seviche, or sebiche) is a refreshing and flavourful seafood dish considered a national treasure of Peru. It consists of fresh, raw fish marinated in citrus juices, primarily lime, which “cooks” the fish, giving it a tender texture. Ceviche is often served with accompaniments like sweet potato, corn, and cancha (toasted corn kernels), creating a delightful combination of textures and flavours.
Ingredients:
- 1 Kg. of fresh fish (firm or semi-firm white-fleshed ocean fish like sea bass, sole, flounder or cod)
- 10 big limes
- 1 red onion cut in thin slices
- 2 tablespoons of salt
- 1 tablespoon of finely chopped ají limo or rocoto (if you don’t have these hot chilis you could use 1 teaspoon of ground cayenne pepper or other hot chili like habanero)
- 1 celery stalk finely minced (this is optional)
- 6 garlic cloves finely minced (this is optional)
- 1 tablespoon of minced cilantro leaves (this is optional)
- 2 medium size sweet potatoes, boiled and cut in slices
Preparation:
Cut the fish in 1.5 – 2 cm cubes and put it in a big bowl. Add the freshly squeezed juice of the limes, the ají limo or rocoto, and salt. Mix well and let it settle for a few minutes before serving. The cebiche should remain cold so let it settle preferably in the fridge. The time to let it settle depends on how “cooked” you like it, some decades ago people used to eat it really cooked, with the fish turning completely white so they were letting it settle for 15 – 20 minutes or even more. Lately, the trend is to eat it almost raw so they let it settle only for 2 – 3 minutes.
Served it cold with onion slices on top and slices of boiled sweet potatoes as a side. You can sprinkle more hot chili and decorate it with a slice of rocoto, a lettuce leaf or fresh seaweed. Other sides that are used are cancha salada (salty toasted corn kernels), boiled corn kernels, slices of boiled yucca or slices of glazed sweet potatoes. It pairs really well with cold chicha morada or cold beer.
The marinade, called “leche de tigre“, traditionally includes lime, hot chili peppers, salt and onions but there are many variations and additions. The one using celery, garlic and cilantro is a popular one.
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