Peruvian ceviche - Peru's national dish

 

There are loads of recipes for ceviche; some with avocado, mango or tomato. The authentic Peruvian ceviche contains only the freshest possible fish, lime juice, salt, hot peppers, red onion and sometimes garlic. This is so far my best ceviche, for which I must thank Laylita's recipes. She covered the fresh fish cubes with cold water and some salt and put them in the refrigerator while preparing the rest of the ingredients. Soaking the fish in cold salt water helps it keep a firm texture. I suppose that did the trick ... anyhow this appetizer turned out mouth-wateringly delicious. And remember to use as fresh a fish as possible, I was lucky to get pike-perch and perch straight from the sea! You simply have to try this brilliant recipe if you happen to get a good catch!

For the ceviche you will need fresh white fish, red onion, lime and chili/hot pepper + salt and black pepper. In Peru ceviche is often served with boiled corn, sweet potato or corn nuts. I chose a sweet dark bread (saaristolaisleipä) that I first put some mayo on. A successful choice!

Ingredients:

about 500g fish filet, such as perch, pike-perch or white fish

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

1-2 dl freshly squeezed lime juice, enough to cover the fish cubes

1-2 habanero peppers/spicy pepperss, cut in half and deveined

(2-3 sprigs of fresh cilantro)

salt to taste

(finely chopped cilantro to taste), I left out the cilantro this time because I was unsure about our guests' liking

1. Cut the fish into small cubes, place them in a glass bowl and cover with cold water and one tablespoon of salt, cover and refrigerate while you prepare the onions and juice the limes.

2. Rub the thin onion slices with 1/2 tablespoon of salt and rinse in cold water. This procedure helps remove their bitterness.

3. Rinse the fish to remove the salt.

4. Place the cubes of fish, half of the sliced onions, the cilantro sprigs and the hot peppers in a glass bowl and pour the lime juice over the ingredients. Sprinkle with a little bit of salt. 

5. Cover and refrigerate for about 15-30 minutes. Check that your lime juice covers the fish, because the acidity of the lime juice actually cooks the fish.

6. Remove the cilantro sprigs and the chili from the mix. Taste the fish ceviche and add additional salt if needed.

7. Place the ceviche in each serving bowl, add the rest of the sliced onions to each bowl, sprinkle with finely chopped cilantro and diced or sliced chili. Or do as I did: serve the ceviche on a slice of bread, topped with some black pepper and black sea salt.