South American Cuisine

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Ceviche

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Cuisine: South American Prep time: 10 min(s) Cooking time: 15 min(s) Servings: Serves 2 Created by Alejandro Saravia

Most South American countries now have their own version of ceviche but it’s thought to be Peruvian in origin. Essentially it is marinated raw fish or crustacean that is ‘cooked’ by the acidity of citrus juice (you can try prawns in this recipe instead of fish if you like). Passionfruit and tamarillo have been added to the marinade for extra flavour. It is a delightful, refreshing, hot-weather meal and reported by some South Americans to be a cure for a hangover! Alejandro serves it with cinnamon-scented sweet potato, but it is often served with cancha serrana (dried corn kernels that are roasted and salted).

Ingredients

1 small sweet potato, peeled
1 tbsp raw sugar
1 cinnamon stick
1 long red chilli
juice of 2 limes
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 skinless, boneless white fish fillets such as snapper, as fresh as possible, cut into 2 cm cubes
ice cubes
½ red onion, finely sliced
1 tbsp finely chopped coriander

Preparation

Boil the sweet potato with the sugar and cinnamon until just soft. Leave to cool, then cut into 2 cm cubes.

Blanch the chilli then peel off the skin and remove the seeds. Place in a mortar with a little lime juice, salt and pepper and grind to a paste.

Combine the fish, remaining lime juice and a few ice cubes in a bowl. Add the onion, a pinch of salt, a little pepper and a little chilli paste to taste and mix together. Stir in the coriander. Place in a serving bowl with the sweet potato on the side. Eat immediately: the fresher, the better.

SBS cook’s notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55–60 g, unless specified.

South American Restaurants

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Displaying 10 of 43 South American Restaurants.

Restaurant Suburb
1. Sporting Club Hotel Brunswick
2. Brazilian Touch Restaurant & Bar Milton
3. Enris Restaurant Hawthorn
4. BlueFire Churrascaria Grill & Bar Docklands
5. Bodega Surry Hills
6. El Gaucho Fitzroy North
7. Favela Potts Point
8. Fiesta on Oxford Bondi Junction
9. Churrasco Coogee
10. LuLo Hawthorn
   
19 Apr 2012 07:02 AEST
Ariel
PERU
We DO use clove and sugar...
Got to this website from a comment on the BBC site... I see some of my fellow countrymen saying "we do never put clove or sugar in the ceviche..." Well, right, we don't put that onto the fish itself, but we many times boil the sweet potatoes with clove and sugar. We sometimes even let them soak in orange juice so that the sweet potatoes get VERY sweet. So, as a Peruvian myself, I must say this ceviche (or sebiche, cebiche, seviche, all spellings accepted!) is more than just fine!
16 Jan 2012 01:16 AEST
Rosa Luz
Narwee Sydney
That recipe is not peruvian ceviche AT ALL
SUGAR ?? CINAMON CLOVE ?? PLEASE dont do this to our peruvian food . We never put those ingredients in our ceviche AT ALL. Please check recipes of ceviche Gaston Acurio is the best chef in Peru . You must be joking jeje. Thanks for promoting our food that is amazing and Peru welcome everyone to visit. Thanks Alejandro and everyone please dont take it bad my comment. :)
23 Feb 2010 05:58 AEST
raft
kings cross,sy
Why not peruvian in food Safari???????
the Peruvian food, is not so much promoted but more and more it is celebrated in the world. Until the moment the second best one and between the best ones is always considered. Ceviche its peruvian . Why not Peruvian food in " safari foods" or Australia ? I run from mexico to chile, i knew best its peruvian. I enjoyed all the peruvian coast, so delicious. The support of peruvian ceviche is the great natural flavor of sea-fish and the amazing aji, aji limo, rocotto more than 400 varieties!
14 Dec 2009 08:47 AEST
Sally
Fadden
No Flash backs!!
I just arrived back from the most amazing journey of my life to date. The true taste of Peru and the coast of Chile is echoed in the most simple and spectacular taste of Ceviche... A little old lady throwing together an amazing plate in 20 seconds that has your taste buds absolutely reeling for more. I have no idea if this dish can ever take me back to those little carts or the fabulous parties but I say hit up the doses of chilli, lemon, continental parsley and onion and you cant go wrong!!=)
08 Nov 2009 11:16 AEST
Soraya
NSW
That's not ceviche
If you are going to have a category call South American cooking you may want it add the country at the beginning of the piece. I am Chilean and let me tell you our Ceviche is very different. For start the onion are suppose to be finely chopped, there is no adding of Crazy ice cubes(dilutes the yummy citricy juice), it also has garlic chili, coriander and red capsicum and lots of lemon juice. Then we put it in the fridge for at least 3 hours for the flavor to infuse...
08 Sep 2009 08:19 AEST
Ella Dixon
Syd
que rico!
I think ceviche is delicious and even tho i havent tried this recipe im glad that someone has given me a basic idea of how to make it, its not always easy to find a good restaurant and its nice to cook at home sometimes.. i think if u think u can make a better one, get in contact with SBS and teach us yourself... stop with the negativity eh... ignore the rating as like i said, i havent made it...
16 May 2009 01:24 AEST
Jorge
Crows Nest
Words of support
C'mon! Alejandro's version of ceviche was good, excellent effort with a personal touch, we will never agree what is the real ceviche or the garnishes that should go there.., there are so many variations and each one of them is excellent according to the region. He is one of the few real professionals that is working hard to give our Gastronomy a place in the Australian map after the massive effort from the so called Peruvian eateris around Sydney to give our food a real bad name..!
06 May 2009 01:23 AEST
Roberto Arrisueno
Australia
Absolutely right !!
Yes, many things have changed in the way the peruvian food is cooked and presented these days but then call it modern ceviche or whatever but not a typical tradicional ceviche or as the article says, quote " The following is the Peruvian version of ceviche" .Any other dish that is presented by this program from any other country will portray the most tradicional ways of cooking and that is all I am defending. I have tried Alejandro's ceviche and it is good but not the original dish. Sorry Mary A
19 Apr 2009 08:45 AEST
Mary Ann
Newport Nsw
Support your countrymen! and get real...
It is so easy to critize and I wonder if the ones that say this ceviche is to your standard. If you have travelled recentlu to Peru there has been a transformation at how the ceviche is prepared. In any case it is done to the taste of who is eating and you also need to ajust dishes for the AUtralian palate. what can be fien for a Peruvian it not be for Aussies. Get real an please at least support your contrymen!
06 Feb 2009 07:04 AEST
Roberto
Frenchs Forest
Ceviche
Continuing....... The ceviche cooked with recipe shown I'm sure tastes beautiful !! but it should be called as Alejandro's variation that is not a typical ceviche from any region. All said I wanted to let all readers know I grow the peruvian yellow chilli and rocoto. Now I have about 15 "AJI" plants diff sizes from 15 to $50. and some "Ajies" @ $55.00 Kg fruit are just starting to ripe. Call Roberto 0412463272 or rhumau2@optusnet.com.au. Cheers !!
06 Feb 2009 05:35 AEST
Roberto
Frenchs Forest
Dreadful ceviche recipe
I am peruvian and have travelled all the peruvian caost up and down. There is many excellent recipes depending on the region you taste it from. I have prepared many of the different styles and they are all beautiful when freshly made. Now, the above recipe is dreadful and the comment "it is thought to be of peruvian origin" ouch !! it hurts, these people should research more. Has anybody tried "Black scallops ceviche and Chinguirito ceviche" from the north....or "Abalone (chanque) ceviche" Yum !
03 Feb 2009 03:52 AEST
Vlad
Epping
bad ceviche
I lived in Peru for 5 years and let me tell you, this attempt of ceviche is a very poor one, why mess with fresh flavours, where are the corn, the potatoes or the cancha? why using a variety of chillies that probably we cannot find anywhere in Australia? the adding of the ice is a nice touch as long as your ceviche has consistency in the juices, yours look really watery. Improve your communication skills mate, long way to go, good effort, nevertheless wrong person for such a big job..
24 Jan 2009 10:33 AEST
Mary Ann
Newport Nsw
Ceniche
I have tried Alejandro's cebiche is perfect and nothing wrong! But of course you make it to your taste. You don't use spinach only lettuce if you wish. Lucia why don't you write in English so everybody can understand , this web is in English!
23 Jan 2009 02:04 AEST
Lucia
Cheshire
Ceviche
Compatriotas peruanas como dicen ambas ese ceviche no es el mejor exponente de lo que es la cocina peruana, pero debemos de esta orgullosas que lo han dicho correctamente el Ceviche es Peruano. Ahora respecto al origen del ceviche yo personalmente considero que es como la Marinera que una la baila con su gracia y encanto personal un poquito de choclito, a lo mejor el camotito glaseadito para que este mas sobroso y su lechuguita. Ojala la proxima consulten con Cucho La Rosa y Gaston Acurio.
06 Jan 2009 01:23 AEST
Maria
Tully
Ceviche
Agree with Sanny this is not the original recipe for the peruvian ceviche. The best and the only one in the world. Go to youtube and look for Gaston Acurio the best peruvian Chef, he will show you how to prepare the original peruvian CEVICHE, and if you like peruvian food look in there all the delicios dishes the peruvians can prepare.
17 Dec 2008 08:44 AEST
sanny
north ryde
No way
I think next time you better find a better chef who can make a really good ceviche the same as the Peruvian festival,That was a real ceviche!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
09 Dec 2008 02:51 AEST
sophie
hornsby
perfect summer dish!
i had to make this after i tried it at the Peruvian festival featured in this episode because it was the best thing i had tasted in a long time! the combination of fresh, melt in your mouth fish with lemon and lime juice and chilli is perfect for this summer.
07 Dec 2008 01:31 AEST
ER
Gladesville
Gr8 recipe!
What kind of spinach does she use? Also where can i find these Dolsot bowls in Sydney?
06 Dec 2008 07:05 AEST
rose duffy
bonalbo
delicous
lovely great reciepe great for my sweet tooth
   

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