Mixed Ceviche (Cebiche Mixto)
Cebiche mixto Say it: seh-BEE-cheh MEEKS-toh
Peru’s mixed ceviche is the Pacific coast’s bright, bracing answer to a hot day: supremely fresh fish, shrimp and calamari briefly cured in lime juice with red onion, cilantro and fiery ají limo. The curing liquid, called leche de tigre, carries garlic, ginger and lime’s sharpness. It is eaten year-round, especially at lunch, with sweet potato and corn. The flavor is clean, tangy and subtly spicy; the seafood stays tender rather than tough.
Mixed Ceviche (Cebiche Mixto)
Cebiche mixto
Pronounced seh-BEE-cheh MEEKS-toh
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 5 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Level
- Medium
Also nut-free and egg-free.
Allergens: contains fish, shellfish. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
For the tiger’s milk
For the seafood
To serve
Method
Bring the 2 quarts (1.9 L) water to a boil in a medium pot and add a generous pinch of salt. Add the shrimp and calamari; cook until the shrimp are pink and the calamari turns opaque, 1–2 minutes. Drain and transfer to a bowl of ice water to stop cooking; drain well. Halve the shrimp lengthwise if large, then refrigerate.
Make the tiger’s milk. in a blender, blend the lime juice, garlic, ginger, cilantro stems, cold water and 1/2 tsp salt until smooth. Strain through a fine sieve, pressing the solids. Keep chilled.
In a nonreactive bowl, combine the fish, cooked shrimp, calamari, chile, half of the red onion and a pinch of salt. Pour the tiger’s milk over and toss gently. Let stand 5–8 minutes, until the fish turns opaque on the outside but still looks moist.
Fold in the remaining red onion and cilantro leaves. Taste and adjust salt.
Serve immediately in chilled bowls, spooning the tiger’s milk over, with sweet potato and corn.
Regional variant: Classic Fish Ceviche (Cebiche de pescado)
Omit the shrimp and calamari; use 1 1/2 lb (680 g) of firm white fish and the same tiger’s milk. Marinate for only 5 minutes, then fold in the onion and cilantro. Serve with the same garnishes.
Cook's notes
- Use the freshest fish possible, ideally sushi-grade, and keep everything cold before mixing.
- Do not marinate longer than 10 minutes or the fish will become mushy and the citrus will overpower the seafood.
- Wear gloves when handling ají limo or habanero chiles, and remove the seeds and veins for less heat.
Serve with
Chilled or room-temperature sweet potato, choclo or corn on the cob, cancha (toasted corn), and a cold pisco sour or chicha morada.
Make ahead and storage
Make the tiger’s milk a few hours ahead and keep it chilled; assemble and marinate the ceviche no more than 10 minutes before serving. Leftover ceviche can be kept chilled up to 1 day, but the fish will become firmer and more opaque.
