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This recipe is NOT reproduced from a cookbook or from another website. The ingredients, quantities and preparation steps are recorded after visiting a local Mercado (market) in Trujillo, and watching a talented, little Peruvian woman named Estella prepare Ceviche in her own home.

Ceviche: Originating in Peru, this fresh raw dish consists of fish soaked in citrus juices such as lemon or lime and spiced with chili peppers. It is essentially a marinated seafood salad.

And, yes, Ceviche is RAW!

But don’t let your western tendencies convince you that it’s scary. When properly prepared with the right ingredients and with fish purchased from a reputable fishmonger, there is no need to be squirmy. People have been eating fish raw for thousands of years. Besides, consuming fish without cooking it ensure access to all those healthy Omega-3 fatty acids and other nutrients that are compromised during high-heat grilling. Ceviche is delicious and nutritious – the perfect dish for a hot day! No turning on the oven!

INGREDIENTS

1 kilo              fresh skinned and boned white fish (see “Note” below)

½ cup            fresh squeezed lemon juice

4 tsp               ground pepper

4 tsp               ground cumin

1 tbsp             salt

1 tbsp             fresh ginger (minced)

½ cup             fresh cilantro (chopped)

5 cloves          garlic (crushed)

1                      small red onion (shaved)

¼ cup             whole milk – optional

1                      yellow jalapeno pepper (minced) – optional

Serve with:

• Lettuce

• Boiled baby potatoes (or Cassava and/or purple camote if available)

• Corn on the cob (cut into rings 1-inch wide)

• Fresh edible seaweed

• Avocado

PREPARATION:

- Dice fish into 1-centimeter cubes (1/2 inch)

- Let fish soak in a salt water brine for 10 minutes

- Thoroughly rinse fish and place in a mixing bowl

- And lemon juice, salt, black pepper, cumin, ginger, cilantro and garlic

- Mix thoroughly

- Let marinate for 30 minutes

- Stir in onions (and milk, if you’d like a creamier Ceviche)

- Serve over a bed of lettuce with such garnishes as corn on the cob, sweet potato, avocado and/or seaweed.

For an authentic Peruvian meal, served with a cold glass of purple Chicha (sweet corn juice) or crack open a bottle of delicious yellow Inca Kola!

Note: Finding fish will depend on what area of the world you live. We used a medium-sized fish called Bonito. Part of the mackerel family and available in Atlantic and Pacific regions, Bonito has a firm texture and darkish coloring. I asked Estella to recommend other fish options. She suggested Jurel (pronounced “hoorel”), Caranx, Pompano and other varieties of Mackerel. Other Internet recipes have suggested such white fish species as Corvina, Halibut, Sea Bass, Tilapia and Sole. My suggestion is to find what is fresh and go from there. Feel free to tinker!

Buen provecho!

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