Sea bass ceviche

We ate the first of the hand-caught sea bass raw, ceviche style. It’s not really Mediterranean, though there are a few regional recipes of this ilk out there. But I got my taste for ceviche during a stay in Lima, Peru, a couple of years ago, and I make whenever I can.

I have my good friend Kevin to thank for this. We were on a boys trip and we ended up in a ceviche place called Yemmis. I remember we ate raw scallops with a dash of Worcestershire sauce, diced triggerfish and snapper in lime and chillies, black conch ceviche. It just kept on coming. The chef was a Japanese Peruvian and the food was like a heavenly fusion of sushi and ceviche.

So what is ceviche? Essentially, it’s fish or shellfish marinated in citrus juice. I like lime (thanks Ned!) but lemon works too, as does orange according to Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. I’ll try that one another time. The origin of ceviche is disputed between Peru and Ecuador, but it’s spread all over Latin America and beyond now. The citrus ‘cooks’ the fish to give a pickled effect.

My effort wasn’t as good as the stuff in Yemmis, I’ll admit, but it was tasty nonetheless. So here goes with the recipe. But first, one last thing. Be sure to drink the lime juice left over once you’ve eaten the fish. In Peru it’s known as leche de tigre, or tiger milk, and it is sometimes served in a small glass as an appetiser. It tastes better than it sounds, honest.

Sea bass ceviche

Two fillets of fresh sea bass, no skin, no bones

Four limes

One chilli

Two shallots

Fresh coriander

Salt

Pepper

Cut the bass into bite-size strips, about a centimetre wide, and place in a deep ceramic bowl. Dice the shallots and put into bowl. Cut the chilli into thin strips and put into the bowl too. Squeeze the juice of the four limes into the fish. Mix thoroughly. Add some salt and pepper and mix thoroughly once again. Place into the fridge for a minimum of an hour, but leave it for up to three if you can. Before serving, sprinkle with the chopped coriander.