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Clean Living Guide

June 7, 2017

Vermillion Snapper Ceviche With Purée Duo & Pappadums

Fresh Cebiche By the Peruvian Sea Shore

On our recent trip to Peru, my husband and I managed to squeeze in quite a lot of ceviche, or cebiche, as this pre-Colombian dish is often called in the once Incan territory. With only two full days in Lima we had most of our meals planned out, including a quick lunch at La Lucha, a more luxurious lunch at Amor Amar and dinner at Ámaz.

Sunday being our first full day, left us with few options for dinner because many good restaurants in Lima are either closed on Sundays or only open until lunch. Weighing the options near Barranco, we reticently chose to eat at Cala for one of our two precious evenings in Lima.

The reviews for Cala were mixed and even our guidebook highlighted that it’s a hit-or-miss kind of place. Plus, having seen it earlier from the outside, we were a bit weary that it might be a night clubby vibe. But in the end, we couldn’t have asked for a more perfect setting for our first evening in Peru.

We sat on the outdoor balcony which hung right over the beach where waves crashed gently onto the pebbly shore. Aside from looking directly over the ocean, we also had views of Lima’s soaring cliffs to the south and the Miraflores skyline to the north.

But the best part was that the food was excellent. In fact, the whole point of this preamble is that one of the best ceviches we had the pleasure of trying in Peru was at Cala – the Traditional Ceviche, with Peruvian giant corn and a glazed sweet potato purée. An extremely simple dish, that brings together a heavenly combination of flavors.

It was that particular preparation that serves as the inspiration for this ceviche recipe. And although most of us are not going to have the silky and sweet Choclo Gigante available to us, the simple fish preparation and sweet potato purée, at the very least, hint at the experience.

I added some personal flare to the traditional recipe by accompanying the dish with pappadums and a lightly spicy avocado puree. Those two components were adapted from a recipe by the husband + wife chef team of Lenoir in Austin, Texas.

If you’re planning a visit to Peru, be sure to read all about our gluten-free foodie adventures here: Gluten Free Foodie in Lima: A Guide to the City’s Best Food

Cooking Notes

Marinade Duration

For a fresh ceviche that feels like sashimi, as in the Traditional Ceviche served at Cala and throughout Lima, you can marinade the fish for as little as five to thirty minutes in the fridge. For this recipe I recommend a 20-30 minute marinade.

In my photos above what you see is 24 hour marinated ceviche, which is essentially fully cooked fish. This is a good option if you’re unsure about the quality of your fish or for people who can’t be exposed to raw fish. The long marinade can bring out a fishy flavor in some oily fish, but if you’re making a ceviche embellished with fruit and other flavors, the long marinade time can produce wonderfully rich flavors.

Fish

Most importantly, be sure to get fresh fish that hasn’t been frozen and defrosted. Quite often fish sold at supermarkets in the fresh section has unfortunately been frozen at least once before making it to the display case, especially when coming from far off places.

If you have access to a small scale fishmonger selling local varieties of fish, get your ceviche fish there. You’ll pay a premium, but will have good odds of getting your hands on a truly fresh catch.

Look for a firm white-fleshed fish like vermillion snapper or beeliner (these get up to 7 lbs), black sea bass (gets up to 5.5 lbs), sole (usually under 4 lbs) or small, pan-sized varieties of grouper. I always ask which fish is smallest in size and potentially youngest in age. These factors will help to reduce the amount of toxins, like heavy metals and PCB’s, that may have accumulated over the fish’s lifespan.

Chili Pepper

You’ll have the most authentic Peruvian cebiche experience if you can find the floral and fruity Aji Limo chili pepper. Your second best option would be the closely related Habanero chili, and third, a Serrano or other chili pepper will do the trick.

The Ajo Limo pepper is native to the Lima region and is sometimes referred to as ‘Lemon Drop’ chili in the US. It comes in a variety of colors, from vibrant yellow to red and purple. Similar to the Habanero, it rates 30,000-60,000 on the Scoville scale. So be careful when handling either of these chili peppers, and in how much you add to the dish.

Sweet Potato Puree

The long, high-heat bake time in a lidded pot produces a delightfully sweet and smokey flavor. The potatoes won’t burn when baked in a pot with a lid and tight seal. Be sure to use parchment paper to protect the surface of your pot, as the juices at the bottom of the pot will blacken and may damage the pot.

Pappadums

To make these right, you’ll want to simulate a deep-fry. All I did to get that perfectly crispy texture was pour a generous amount of Epic’s Duck Fat into the pan, just enough to submerge one flat pappadum. Then brought the fat to high heat and placed one pappadum in at a time. Flipping each one with tongs after about 15 seconds, once it puffed up. Then letting the oil drip into the pan before placing it on the plate.

The easiest way to get good pappadums is to seek out a local Indian grocery store. You’ll pay about $2 for a package of the delicious lentil flour tortillas. If you’re in L.A., try India Sweets in Atwater Village.

To get a package online, beware that you’ll pay a lot more and they may come broken. See below for some choice options on Amazon.

Tools & Pantry Shopping List

The couple of tools I’d recommend having on hand to make this recipe is a hand blender with deep steel mixing cup and a sharp sashimi knife.

On Amazon:

  • Japanese Yanagiba Sashimi Sushi Knife
  • Waring Light-Duty Quik Stik Immersion Blender – 100% stainless steel wand
  • Stainless Steel Milkshake Cup
  • Amco Garlic Press and Slicer – this press is extremely well made and durable
  • Patak’s Pappadums
  • Pride Of India, Mung Bean Plain Papadum Lentil Crisp – certified Gluten Free
  • Choclo Gigante – Peruvian giant corn if you wish to add it to the dish, it would be delish!

Easy, deeply-discounted Thrive Market shopping: (Follow this link for 25% off and free shipping!)

  • Epic Cage-Free Duck Fat

Vermillion Snapper Ceviche With Puree Duo & Papadum

Created by Patryce Kinga Bak on May 29, 2017

This ceviche brings together a heavenly combination of sweet, spicy and tart flavors. It may remind you of Traditional Ceviche in Peru, but the inclusion of smoky sweet potato and piquant avocado purées makes for great presentation and a luxurious textural experience.

  • Prep Time: 30m
  • Cook Time: 1h 20m
  • Total Time: 1h 30m
  • Serves: 4
  • Yield: 4 appetizer plates

Ingredients

Ceviche

  • 1 1/2 pounds fresh Vermilion Snapper, diced (or sub with firm white fish)
  • 1 teaspoon Sea Salt
  • 1/2 large Shallot, thinly sliced
  • 3/4 cup fresh Lime Juice, roughly 6 limes
  • 1/4 cup fresh Lemon Juice, roughly 1 large lemon
  • 1 tablespoon Fresh Ginger, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons Celery, thinly sliced
  • 2 small Garlic Cloves, finely minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon Aji Limo or Habanero chili pepper, finely minced

Avocado Puree

  • 2 ripe Avocados
  • 1/2 teaspoon Aji Limo or Habanero chili pepper, sliced (to taste)
  • 2 medium Blood Oranges, juiced (or sub with other orange variety)

Sweet Potato Puree

  • 4 small Sweet Potatoes

Pappadums

  • 1/4 cup Duck Fat or Palm Oil
  • package Pappadums, 1 per person

Choclo Gigante (optional)

  • 1 cup Choclo Gigante, cooked kernels

Instructions

Sweet Potato Puree

  1. Preheat oven to 450°F/ 230°C. Place whole sweet potatoes in a covered heavy pot lined with parchment paper. Bake for 1 hour & 20 minutes, until the flesh is puree soft and the skins are crisp and coming away from the flesh.
  2. Let cool. Make an incision along the length of the potato. Peel back skin. For a fine whipped texture, place peeled potatoes into a wide mouth jar and whip using an immersion blender. Blend until silky smooth. If not available, mash and whip vigorously with a fork.

Ceviche

  1. Pour juice of limes and lemon into a medium bowl. Using a garlic press, squeeze juice from the ginger into the mixture, then toss in the ginger meat. Repeat these steps with the celery. Set aside and let marinade while prepping the fish.
  2. Place very thinly sliced shallots at the bottom of a large ceramic mixing bowl or glass container. Dust fish with salt and using a sharp chef’s knife slice into bite sized cubes. Place fish over shallots and add garlic and minced chili peppers. Using a fine mesh strainer to reserve the ginger and celery pulp, pour lemon-lime juice over the fish. Stir without disturbing the shallots at the bottom of the bowl. Save the ginger-celery pulp for another purpose or discard.
  3. Cover and place in the fridge for 20-30 minutes for sashimi style fish, or 24 hours for a near-cooked texture. If using plastic wrap to cover the bowl, make sure it does not slack and touch the food. See cooking notes on marinade duration.

Avocado Puree

  1. Place all ingredients into a wide mouth jar or deep stainless steel container and whip using an immersion blender. Blend until silky smooth. Adjust heat to taste.

Serve

  1. Leaving some room to one side of the plate, place a scoop of ceviche on each plate. Place a neat dollop of each puree to the side of the ceviche. Place marinaded shallots on top of the ceviche. Serve papadums on a separate serving plate or brake them into quarters and arrange on each plate.
Source: Clean Living Guide
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This information is intended for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. It is your responsibility to take necessary precautions when purchasing any products recommend on Clean Living Guide. Consult a licensed healthcare practitioner before consuming any herbs or botanical remedies. The above statements have not been evaluated by the FDA.

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About Patryce + CLG

As a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner and Holistic Health Coach, my approach to health and wellness is rooted in holistic and functional medicine principles. My practice is based on the philosophy that the body's inherent ability to heal itself can be tapped into with tools for a healthy lifestyle focused on supporting mind-body-spirit and with the help of nutraceutical and herbal allies.

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