Ceviche is Peru’s gift to hot days: cubes of impeccably fresh fish “cooked” in nothing but lime juice, sharpened with red onion and aji chili, and finished with the milky, spicy marinade Peruvians call leche de tigre, tiger’s milk. It is fifteen minutes of work that eats like a celebration of the entire Pacific.
The non-negotiables
- Fish: the freshest firm white fish you can buy, sea bass, flounder or corvina
- Limes: plenty, freshly squeezed, never bottled
- Red onion: sliced hair-thin and rinsed
- Chili: aji limo or amarillo traditionally, a fresh red chili works
- Sides: boiled sweet potato and choclo corn, the classic sweet counterpoints
The method, Peruvian style
- Cut the fish into even 2cm cubes and chill everything, including the serving bowls.
- Season the fish with salt first: it firms the flesh.
- Add lime juice, chili, and a little crushed garlic: toss gently.
- Wait just five to ten minutes: the fish should be opaque outside, tender within.
- Fold in onion and coriander, and serve immediately with the sides.
Leche de tigre, the liquid gold
The cloudy marinade left in the bowl is prized in Peru as a delicacy and a hangover cure: spoon it over the ceviche, or blend it with a little fish and ice for the full cevichería experience. Modern kitchens blitz a splash of fish stock, lime, celery and chili to make extra: once you taste it, you will understand why.
The freshness rule
Ceviche has one law: the fish must be pristine and the dish must be eaten the moment it is ready, never left to over-cure into rubber. Buy from a fishmonger you trust, tell them it is for ceviche, and plan your timing backwards from the table. Done right, it is one of the brightest plates in the world.
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