“Si!” to Peru’s Signature Delicacies, Ceviche and Pisco Sours

My recent Peruvian adventure included a deep, delicious dive into the country’s authentic cuisine with seafood as a highlight.

Peruvian Ceviche is a marinated seafood dish, typically the first course, which consists of a fresh, white fish soaked in fresh lime juice and served with thinly sliced red onion and sweet potato. As I traveled inland from Lima, to Arequipa, Puno, Cusco and high into the Andes, I found the seasonings differed according to regional preferences and ingredients. In this country of over three thousand varieties of potatoes or “papas” and where corn is a major food group, there were interesting and delicious variations on the marinated seafood theme.

Ají or chili peppers are added to boost flavor. White fish like sea bass and halibut are the best fish for absorbing the citrus juices but other types of fish can be considered. Many countries in South America prepare a shrimp or octopus ceviche, also delicious.

I’m happy to share the recipe I was given from a demonstration and meal I enjoyed with a young Peruvian chef of Asnapa Cocina Peruana, in Lima’s lovely Miraflores neighborhood.

The Asnapa Ceviche Recipe

Ingredients

• one large red onion julienned
• 1.5 lbs. of fresh cubed white fish
• fresh slices of coriander leaves
• One portion of “tigre de leche” or tiger’s milk ( see recipe below)
• one red chili pepper (aju limo) in fine cubes
• one cooked sweet potato
• portion of cooked large kernel white corn
• touch of salt

Wash onion and place in cold water with ice, rinse and remove excess water. Cut fish in equal slices and place in large bowl, adding a touch of salt. Mix to allow salt to open pores of the fish. Add tiger’s milk and leave the preparation for two minutes to “cook” the fish. Add slices of onion, coriander, red chili, sweet potato and corn.

The Tiger’s Milk

• 2 ounces fresh ginger
• 2 cloves garlic
• fresh leaves of four roots of coriander
• juice of 8 limes
• drop of milk
• cube of ice
• 2 ounces fish

Put all ingredients in a bowl, repose for 10 minutes, add a touch of salt to blend and reserve until needed.

Now, another unusual favorite and this one has a legacy all it’s own. The Pisco Sour…I had never heard of this prior to my trip but it is a delicious alcoholic drink that comes with it’s own warning to the unsuspecting tourist…one is enough!

A Pisco Sour is a classic cocktail is considered the national drink of Peru, is made from a South American brandy called pisco and typically includes citrus juice, egg white, simple syrup, and bitters. The pisco sour has a tart, sweet, silky, and slightly herbal taste. The egg white gives the drink a light and frothy texture.  For the aficionado, a few drops of betters are added to add distinction to the first sips.

The pisco sour originated in the 1920s, and the Morris Bar in Lima is thought to be the birthplace of the drink. In 2007, the National Institute of Culture declared the pisco sour a Cultural Heritage of Peru.

From Wikipedia: Pisco is a colorless or yellowish-to-amber-colored spirit produced in winemaking regions of Peru and Chile. Made by distilling fermented grape juice into a high-proof spirit, it was developed by 16th-century Spanish settlers as an alternative to orujo, a pomace brandy that was being imported from Spain.

Pisco Sour Recipe

Ingredients

• 3 ounces pisco 
• 1 ounce fresh-squeezed lime juice
• 3/4 ounce simple syrup 
• 1 fresh egg white
• 1 dash Angostura or Amargo bitters

Directions

Combine pisco, lime, simple syrup, and egg white in a cocktail shaker without ice and seal. Shake vigorously until egg white is foamy, about 10 seconds. Add ice to shaker and shake again very hard until well-chilled, about 10 seconds. Strain into chilled cocktail glass; dash bitters atop the egg-white foam. For simple syrup: In a jar, combine 1 cup water with 1 cup superfine sugar. Seal jar and shake until sugar is completely dissolved. Keep remainder refrigerated.

Many recipes for pisco sours call for 2 ounces of pisco instead of 3. This recipe is based on the stronger versions I was served in Lima which typically were made with 3 ounces. Feel free to adjust!