Peruvian Cooking

Sea Bass Ceviche

Receta peruana de Ceviche y maridaje con Cava de Guarda

Light, fruity and citric, its crisp, fast bubbles are typical of a young wine. On the palate, notes of white flowers and fruits like green apple and pear. Ideal for pairing with all types of aperitivos, salads, light canapés or seafood.

1 Hour

Difficulty

4 people

Seafood

Ceviche is one of the most refreshing Latin American dishes and its origins lie in Peru. The first recipe for this dish appeared in 1860 and comes from Manuel Atanasio Fuentes, who mentions it in La Guía de Lima. However, well-known Peruvian chef Gastón Acurio says that "ceviche isn't a recipe, it's a concept of life". And it has to be said that there are indeed a huge variety of ceviches. And also a good number of different theories on where the dish and its name come from.

Regardless of its origins, the reality is that all ceviches still use the same basic ingredients: pieces of whitefish, red onion in julienne, lemon juice, ají, chopped coriander and salt. Interestingly, the juice used in the preparation of ceviches is commonly known as tiger's milk. It's what's left over on the plate after eating the ceviche, and today it's used for preparing other dishes.

In 2004, ceviche was declared a part of the National Cultural Heritage by Peru’s National Institute of Culture. And Ceviche Day has been celebrated each year on 28 June since 2008.

At the Cava Regulatory Board we’d like to offer you a recipe for sea bass ceviche, paired with a traditional cava (aged for more than 9 months) so that you can fully appreciate the fresh, delicious taste.

Ingredients

600 g fresh sea bass (or 4 sea bass fillets, skin removed)

1 red onion

1 aji limo (a kind of hot habanero chilli)

4 limes

Salt

4 ice cubes (1 per portion)

Coriander leaves

Instructions

Before starting to prepare your sea bass ceviche, put a bowl in the fridge to get nice and cold. This first step is really important, because the ceviche has to be served cold.

While the bowl is chilling nicely in the fridge, slice the onion into half-moons and set it aside.

Chop the aji limo, and reserve.

Chop the coriander leaves, and set aside.

Cut the sea bass into medium-sized cubes, and place in the bowl that’s been chilling in the fridge.

Add the aji limo, red onion and a pinch of salt to the sea bass, and pour over the lime juice. Now add the ice cubes, to make sure that it's really cold.

Your ceviche is ready now, but you'll need to taste it before serving, because ceviche is a refreshing dish with a combination of sour salty and spicy flavours, and you can only get that balance just right by trying it yourself - all lemons, peppers and fish are different.

Don't forget to serve it with a traditional cava (aged for more than 9 months) to contrast with all the flavours that are so characteristic of ceviche. But if you want to surprise all the guests with a really traditional touch, try serving it with some pieces of sweet potato and Peruvian corn.

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