Peruvian Tiger's Milk (Leche de Tigre)
Leche de tigre Say it: LEH-cheh deh TEE-greh
Leche de tigre is Peru’s electrifying appetizer born from ceviche: the pale, creamy-citrus liquid that remains after marinating fresh fish. Coastal Peruvians sip it chilled in small glasses, often as a morning reviver or a pre-meal pick-me-up. It is bracingly sour from lime, lightly briny, and fiery from ají limo, rounded with ginger, garlic, celery, and cilantro. Smooth and frothy, it is served with bits of fish, red onion, and toasted corn, offering a pure, refreshing taste of the sea.
Peruvian Tiger's Milk (Leche de Tigre)
Leche de tigre
Pronounced LEH-cheh deh TEE-greh
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- —
- Total
- 20 min
- Level
- Easy
Also nut-free and egg-free.
Allergens: contains fish, celery. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
For the leche de tigre
To serve
Method
In a blender, combine the 8 oz (225 g) fish, lime juice, fish stock or water, chopped onion, garlic, ginger, celery, cilantro, chili, salt, and ice cubes. Blend on high until completely smooth and frothy, about 45 seconds.
Taste and adjust with more salt or lime juice; if it is too spicy, add a little more cold water or fish stock.
For a silky texture, strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a pitcher, pressing gently with a spoon; for a more rustic drink, leave it unstrained.
Chill the glasses briefly or add an extra ice cube to each glass.
Divide the reserved 2 oz (55 g) fish and the sliced red onion among the chilled glasses. Pour the leche de tigre over the top.
Garnish with cilantro leaves and toasted corn kernels, and serve immediately with lime wedges on the side.
Regional variants
Some cooks add a splash of clam juice or a little cooked sweet potato for body, and others finish with a few drops of ginger juice or a spoonful of crema de ají.
Cook's notes
- Use the freshest sushi-grade fish you can find and keep all ingredients cold for the cleanest flavor.
- Seed and start with half the chile if you prefer gentle heat.
- Stir before drinking, as the fish may settle.
Serve with
Serve in small chilled glasses with toasted cancha or corn nuts; boiled sweet potato or choclo is a common accompaniment.
Make ahead and storage
Best blended just before serving; if needed, keep the strained liquid over ice for up to 1 hour and add the fish garnish at the end.
