The Christmas party was South and Central American-themed. That’s a lot of ground to cover. Mostly it was Peruvian and Mexican under the thinly veiled charade of a “fiesta.” Nobody complained. The margaritas, sangria and rum probably helped, but the ceviche, guacamole, and marinated anticuchos didn’t hurt.
After long last (3 weeks?), here are the photos and some of the recipes.
I wanted to make a classic Peruvian ceviche (no avocado or mango like the Mexican versions – only chili pepper, lime, sweet potato, corn and salt), but we don’t have aji limo or rocoto in Newfoundland, so I settled for fresno. And we don’t have the traditional corvhina or even wild sole fillets that melt in your mouth after a quick dip in the acidic broth. But this recipe worked none the less. My chunks of fish were laybe a bit too large, but I let them marinate long enough. The turbot was not the best choice, but it was probably the best option in the area…maybe haddock would have worked? It definitely would have been more affordable. This felt like a waste of great fish. I should have seared it and served it with butter (or butter replacement for the lactose intolerants). Next time…
Wild Turbot (Sustainable Red Snapper) Ceviche
based on a recipe from the Art of Peruvian Cuisine
1 1/2 lb turbot fillets (or other sustainable tender white fish, such as sashimi grade snapper)
1 red onion, cut in thin slices
1/2 Fresno (long red but not too spicy) chili pepper, minced
Salt, to taste (3/4 tsp – 1 1/4 tsp)
Juice of 4-7 limes (really need to adjust to taste. The original recipe calls for 15 key limes, but these are much smaller and are a little less pungent than what we get for limes in North America)
1/4 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
2 ice cubes
Mandatory accompaniments
1/2 cup boiled corn (it’s supposed to be the big white “choclo” corn, but regular corn – preferably fresh, or frozen, but never canned – is okay), boiled or steamed until just tender (2 minutes if it’s fresh, follow bag instructions minus 1 minute if it’s frozen)
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut in 1″ slices, steamed or boiled until soft (about 8 minutes – one great restaurant in Lima simmers its sweet potato in a orange and sugar mixture to infuse it and sweeten. It’s a nice touch but don’t go overboard on the sugar or orange)
1 iceberg lettuce leaf (it’s traditional!)
Cut fish into 1/2″ by 1/2″ cubes and combine with onion in a colander. Rinse with clean water and pat dry with paper towel. Place in large bowl with the chili pepper and 3/4 tsp salt. Toss to coat and then add the juice of 4 limes and the cilantro. Add the ice cubes to cool the fish, and toss again. Remove ice cubes. Taste and add more salt or lime juice as necessary. It should be really pungent!
Let marinate 5 minutes (10-15 if the fish pieces are larger than 1/2″ cubes or the fish has spent more than 1 day in the fridge). Serve on the piece of lettuce with a sprinkle of corn (either on the side or on top) and the slices of sweet potato. Have extra fresh chili pepper and lime wedges to garnish and to adjust flavour to taste.
Vegetarian Avocado Causa (recipe here – just use raw mashed or sliced avocado in place of shrimp and/or garlic scapes)
Here’s a better shot. I also did a version with boiled shrimp sliced in half and layered in a fan pattern in the middle.
Cilantro Rice – not cooked yet. Just a bunch of blended cilantro with some peas, carrots, onions, garlic, salt, pepper, cumin and rice. So easy. Here’s the recipe. Use vegetable stock (preferably organic, corn and preservative-free. PREFERABLY homemade!) if you’re vegetarian.
Traditionally this is served with marinated and grilled chicken or duck (Arroz con pollo or Chiclayo style arroz con pato, I think).
Salsas and desserts to come!
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