Tres Ceviches

If I had to choose my top dishes, one of them would be Peruvian ceviche. Its acidic tang is clean and utterly fresh. I love the way you can change the flavours using tropical fruit, tomatoes, soy sauce or chillies. The fish you choose is vital. It can’t be too oily, soft or bony. Halibut, barramundi cod, redfish or tuna are my favourites: almost no waste, mild flavour and easy to slice.

There are many opinions about how long you ‘cook’ the fish (it’s still raw but the proteins change colour). While some recipes marinate for hours, others are served in a flash with the ‘leche de tigre’ (the cloudy liquid that appears when the fish is covered in the citrus juices). With white fish I marinate it for at least one hour, then drain and re-dress so it’s not fishy. The flesh turns a beautiful iridescent white, but with tuna it’s best to marinate for just a few minutes to maintain the crimson colour.