Peruvian Ceviche with Leche de Tigre
Thin-sliced sea bass cured in punishing lime juice and ají amarillo until the flesh turns white and tender, served in its own milky tiger's milk that you are expected to drink at the end.
Ingredients
For 4 servings · tick what is ready
Use the scaled ingredient list. Steps and temperatures stay unchanged; use a larger pan or dish if needed. Seasonings to taste stay to taste.
How to make it
Ensure the fish is as cold as possible — partially freeze for 20 minutes if needed for cleaner cuts. Cut into 2cm cubes against the grain of the flesh. Uniformity matters: irregular pieces cure at different rates, leaving some over-cured and chalky while others are still raw. Place immediately in a chilled ceramic or glass bowl.
Season the fish cubes with salt and toss to coat. Add the garlic, ginger, and ají amarillo paste. Pour the lime juice over all — there should be enough to fully submerge the fish. Toss gently. The acid cure begins immediately: for Peruvian ceviche, the ideal cure time is just 3–5 minutes for a tender, barely-cooked interior. Taste at 3 minutes — the fish should be white on the exterior but still slightly translucent at the very center.
Add the sliced red onion and half the cilantro to the ceviche and toss once. Taste and adjust salt and ají amarillo level. Serve immediately in chilled bowls — pour the full leche de tigre over and around the fish. Arrange the choclo corn and sliced camote on the side. Scatter remaining cilantro over. The leche de tigre is not a by-product — it is the whole point. Serve with a spoon.
About this recipe
By ForkRecipe Kitchen · Source: ForkRecipe / FoodML and contributors. Recipe content available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Serving count is an estimate; check quantities in the source recipe.