Peruvian Ceviche

Ingredients

• •1.5 lbs firm white fish (halibut or sea bass) sold for raw consumption, diced into bite-sized pieces (see step 1)
• •1 cup fresh lime juice
• •2 medium red onions, thinly sliced
• •2 medium tomatoes, diced
• •1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• •1 jalapeño, minced
• •2 cloves garlic, minced
• •1/2 teaspoon salt
• •1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• •2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

1. 1BUY FISH THAT IS SAFE TO EAT RAW — do this before anything else. Buy fish sold explicitly for raw consumption, and ask the fishmonger directly to confirm it was commercially frozen to destroy parasites. Fresh, never-frozen fish is NOT a safe substitute however good it looks or smells, and 'sushi-grade' is a marketing phrase with no legal definition, so on its own it guarantees nothing. Keep the fish refrigerated right up to the moment you cut it, and eat the dish the same day you make it. This matters more here than it looks: the lime juice will turn the fish opaque and firm, which is the acid changing its texture, NOT cooking it. Acid does not kill parasites and is not a substitute for the freezing above.
2. 2Place diced fish in a glass bowl and pour lime juice over it, ensuring the fish is completely covered.
3. 3Add salt and pepper, then refrigerate for 15-20 minutes until the fish turns opaque and firm. The lime has changed its texture, not cooked it — safety came from the sourcing in step 1, not from the acid.
4. 4In another bowl, combine sliced red onions, diced tomatoes, minced jalapeño, and garlic.
5. 5Drain excess lime juice from the fish, then gently fold the fish into the tomato mixture.
6. 6Add chopped cilantro and drizzle with olive oil, then toss gently to combine.
7. 7Taste and adjust seasoning as needed, then serve immediately over crackers or with avocado.

💡 Ceviche needs impeccably cold fish and a short lime cure. Leaving fish in acid too long makes the exterior chalky while the centre loses its delicate texture. For fish to be safe to eat raw the SUPPLIER must have frozen it to a parasite-destroying standard — about -20°C for seven days, or -35°C for fifteen hours. Confirm that before you buy; it is not something you can do in a home freezer.

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