The essence of Peruvian ceviche starts with a base of “tiger’s milk,” a spicy concoction of lime juice, garlic and pepper.Proformabooks/Getty Images/iStockphoto
Gaston Acurio says the essence of Peruvian ceviche starts with a base of "tiger's milk," a spicy concoction of lime juice, garlic and pepper. Peruvian aji amarillo chili peppers are hard to find here, so I used one bird's eye chili, seeded and chopped. Use very fresh Mediterranean sea bass, sea bream, scallops or trout.
Servings: 4
Tiger’s milk
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
1 garlic clove, smashed
1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 aji amarillo chili or 1 bird’s eye chili, halved lengthwise and seeded (omit if you prefer no spice)
Ice cubes
1/4 cup chopped red onion
Salt
Ceviche
1 bird’s eye chili, halved lengthwise and seeded
1/2 lb (250 g) white fish fillets, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 small red onion, cut into thin wedges
1 cup cooked diced sweet potato
1/2 cup corn kernels
2 tbsp chopped cilantro leaves
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Method
Purée lime juice, garlic, cilantro, chili and 2 ice cubes in a blender until smooth. Add onion and pulse 3 to 4 times. Strain liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl. Season with salt. Cover and chill.
Rub a large bowl with cut sides of chili, then discard pepper. Place fish, two-thirds of the onion, tiger’s milk and 2 large ice cubes in bowl. Stir well. Let marinate for a few minutes, then remove ice. Fold in sweet potato, corn and cilantro; season with salt and pepper.
Using a slotted spoon, divide ceviche into small bowls or onto plates. Drizzle with remaining tiger milk and garnish with remaining onion.