Fresh white fish "cooked" in lime juice with aji amarillo, red onion, and cilantro. Bright, zingy, and wildly refreshing—Peruvian beach energy in a bowl. No heat required, just patience and really good fish.←Back to Taco Base Recipes
1 lb fresh white fish (halibut, sea bass, or snapper), diced 1/2 in (1.3 cm)
0.75 cup fresh lime juice
1.5 tbsp aji amarillo paste
0.5 cup red onion, thinly sliced
3 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
0.5 cup cooked corn kernels
1 pepper jalapeño, minced (seeds removed)
1 tsp kosher salt
1 medium sweet potato, boiled and sliced (optional, for serving)
Cure the fish: Place diced fish in a non-reactive bowl (glass or ceramic). Pour lime juice over until completely submerged. The acid is doing all the heavy lifting here—it'll turn the fish opaque and firm in about 15 minutes.
Soak onions: While fish cures, soak red onion slices in ice water for 10 minutes to mellow the bite. Drain well.
Mix: Once fish is opaque and firm (not translucent), drain most of the lime juice, leaving about 2 tbsp. Add aji amarillo paste, drained onions, cilantro, corn, jalapeño, and salt. Toss gently.
Taste and adjust: Add more lime for brightness, salt for depth, or aji amarillo if you want the heat turned up.
Serve immediately: Ceviche waits for no one. If it sits too long, the fish gets rubbery and the magic fades.
Chef's Notes
Ceviche is Peru's national treasure, and understanding it means understanding that acid "cooks" proteins through denaturation rather than heat. The lime juice causes the fish proteins to unwind and firm up, turning translucent flesh opaque and giving it that characteristic firm-yet-tender texture. This isn't just a garnish situation; the lime is doing actual cooking. Fish freshness is everything. Tell your fishmonger you're making ceviche so they know you need their absolute best. Sushi-grade fish (flash-frozen to kill parasites) is ideal. The fish should smell like clean ocean, not fishy. Halibut, sea bass, snapper, or corvina are traditional choices: firm flesh that holds up to the acid without falling apart. Aji amarillo is Peru's signature chile: fruity, floral, and medium-hot with a distinctive yellow-orange color. Find the paste in jars at Latin markets or online; it's worth hunting down because nothing else tastes quite like it. The mustard-cayenne substitute is a survival tactic, not an endorsement. Soaking the red onion in ice water mellows its harsh bite while keeping the crunch. Serve immediately; ceviche that sits becomes rubbery as the acid continues working. The liquid left behind (leche de tigre, or "tiger's milk") is considered a delicacy and hangover cure in Peru. Sip it or save it for tomorrow morning. Your choice.
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