Ceviche Clásico
A classic Peruvian ceviche featuring sashimi-grade fish 'cooked' in lime juice, balanced with sweet potato and choclo.
Contents (2 sections)▾
Ingredients
- 400 g sashimi-grade sea bass, corvina, or flounder, diced
- 150 ml fresh lime juice
- 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
- 1-2 aji limo peppers, finely chopped
- 1 large sweet potato, cooked and sliced
- 200 g choclo (large corn), cooked and cut from cob
- Salt to taste
Steps
In a glass or ceramic bowl, combine the diced fish with 1 cup of lime juice, ensuring the fish is fully submerged. Let it marinate for 10-15 minutes at room temperature (around 20-22°C or 68-72°F). This is crucial as the acid in the lime 'cooks' the fish.
Add the thinly sliced red onion and aji limo to the fish mixture, stirring gently to combine. Season with salt to taste.
Serve the ceviche immediately, garnishing with slices of cooked sweet potato and choclo on the side for an excellent balance of flavors.
Why this works
Ceviche is a quintessential dish of Peruvian cuisine, where the fish is effectively 'cooked' by the acidity of lime juice. The fish's proteins denature in the presence of acid, resulting in a firm texture reminiscent of traditional cooking methods. The combination of the sweet potato and choclo adds a contrast in texture and flavor that balances the acidity of the lime and the heat of the aji limo. Peruvian-style ceviche is quick — 5–10 minutes in lime, not 30+ — to keep the fish from going mushy.
Safety — read this before sourcing fish: Lime juice DOES NOT kill parasites (Anisakis and others). The denaturation it causes is only a textural change. The ONLY safety pathway for raw-fish dishes is the freeze step: fish must have been frozen at −20 °C for 7 days minimum (US FDA standard) before raw consumption. This is what "sashimi-grade" or "sushi-grade" means — a documented freeze history, not just freshness. NEVER use "fresh fish from the market" for ceviche unless you can verify it has been properly frozen. Sea bass, corvina, and flounder all work IF properly frozen. If you cannot confirm the freeze history, do not make this raw.
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