Serves 4 
Serves 4
• 1 ½ pounds flounder fillets, cut in bite-size pieces
• 1 red onion, cut in fine slices
• Juice of 10 limes
• 2 tablespoons ají amarillo paste
• 1 garlic clove, finely diced
• 1-inch piece celery stick, finely chopped
• Salt
• 2 tablespoons cilantro leaves, chopped
• 1 sweet potato, boiled, peeled, and thickly sliced
• 1 giant kernel corn, boiled in water with 1 tablespoon sugar
• 4 lettuce leaves
Only five ingredients are needed for a good cebiche: fish, onion, lime juice, hot chili peppers, and salt. To this basic preparation, you can add anything you want, such as garlic, celery, herbs, and ginger. The possibilities are endless.
1. Combine the lime juice, ají amarillo paste, garlic, celery, salt, and 1 tablespoon cilantro in a bowl.
2. In another bowl, combine the fish and onion, and wash them together. Drain and season with salt.
3. Add the lime juice mixture to the fish with 5 ice cubes to tame the acidity of the lime. Stir, taste for seasoning, and remove the ice.
4. Serve the cebiche on 4 plates and sprinkle with chopped cilantro.
5. Put a lettuce leaf on the side, and place the corn and sweet potatoes on top of it.
It’s important to start with the freshest fish available. If possible, make sure your main ingredient spent the previous night still swimming in open water. Frozen fish is a big and most definite NO when it comes to this minimalistic delicacy.
Makes 4 
• 1 pound shrimp
• 1 pound calamari, cut into rings
• 3 cups hot fish stock
• 1 pound fish fillets
• Juice of 10 limes
• 1 5-ounce can tomato juice
• 1 ounce Worcestershire sauce
• 1–2 teaspoons rocoto paste
• Salt
• 2 avocados, peeled and sliced
• 1 cup red onion, finely sliced
• 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
• 4 cilantro sprigs
• 20 fried wonton wraps
Cebiche is one of those dishes with countless variations. This one has all the flavors of the famous Bloody Mary, with tomato juice as the star. A side of fried wonton wraps gives it a beautiful and exotic look, and an unexpected crunchy texture as well.
1. Clean the shrimp and calamari and blanch for 2 minutes in boiling fish stock. Drain and cool.
2. Cut the fish in 1 x 1–inch pieces. Put in a bowl and mix with the shrimp and calamari. Season with salt and add lime juice.
3. In another bowl, mix the tomato juice with Worcestershire sauce, rocoto paste, salt, and pepper.
4. Combine the tomato mixture with some of the lime juice in which the fish is marinating, and add 4 ice cubes to cool for two minutes. Discard the ice cubes.
5. To assemble the cebiche, put 2 avocado slices on each plate. Put ¼ of the cebiche on top.
6. Drizzle with ¼ of the tomato sauce.
7. Add chopped cilantro and sliced onion, and garnish with cilantro sprigs.
8. Serve with fried wonton wraps on the side (see tip box).
Cut each wonton wrap diagonally. Heat ½ cup vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium heat, and fry the wonton triangles for a couple minutes until medium golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Keep in tightly sealed containers for up to 2 days.
Serves 4 
• 1 pound white fish fillet
• Juice of 5 limes
• ¼ cup passion fruit juice (it can be frozen)
• 1 teaspoon ají amarillo paste
• 1 teaspoon diced ají limo (or 1 teaspoon ají limo paste)
• 1 garlic clove, grated
• ½ teaspoon ginger, grated
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• Lettuce leaves
• 1 sweet potato, cooked and cut in thick slices
• ¼ cup Peruvian giant corn kernels (or any white kernel)
• 1 tablespoon black sesame seeds
Tiradito is a fresh and delicate cross between sashimi and cebiche. It is tasty, full of protein, and very low in fat, making it a wonderful option for those trying to avoid fatty meals, or on a low-carb diet.
1. Thinly slice the fish fillet, wafer thin, like carpaccio. Put the slices on 4 cold plates and sprinkle with salt.
2. In a bowl, combine the lime juice, passion fruit juice, ají amarillo paste, diced chili pepper, garlic, ginger, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Pour this juice over the fish.
3. Garnish each plate with a lettuce leaf, and put two sweet potato slices and 1 tablespoon corn kernels on top. Sprinkle the fish with black sesame seeds.
4. Serve immediately.
To make passion fruit juice at home, cut the fruit in half and scoop the pulp into the vase of a blender. Process for 15 seconds on low speed and strain, discarding the black seeds.
Serves 2 
• 2 tablespoons red ají limo paste
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 pound fish fillet
• 1 teaspoon mashed garlic
• Salt and pepper
• Juice of 4 limes
• 2 tablespoons parsley, sliced
Tiraditos covered with chili pepper creams are all the rage in Peru. Locals never get tired of these creamy and citrusy concoctions that look and feel so elaborate and gourmet, despite the actual simplicity of their preparation. This recipe is a creation of chef Roberto Cuadra.
1. Combine the ají limo paste in a bowl with the vegetable oil and blend until smooth.
2. Cut the fish in wafer-thin slices, like carpaccio. Season with mashed garlic, salt, and pepper. Spread the slices on two plates.
3. Combine the ají limo cream with the lime juice. Pour over the fish and sprinkle with parsley. Serve immediately.
To make a different version of this tiradito substitute the ají limo with ají amarillo. This will give the cream a bright yellow color with a floral aroma. You can also use rocoto or any other chili pepper.
Makes 1
• 1 fresh oyster
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon shoyu
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon lime juice
• Pinch of xanthan gum, to thicken
• ½ scallion, finely sliced, to garnish
• A few sprouts, to garnish (optional)
Hajime Kasuga, one of the best Nikkei chefs, shared this delicate recipe with us. With just a few ingredients, he created this beautiful and sophisticated dish, where the star is the oyster’s freshness.
1. Process the shoyu, lime juice, and xanthan gum in a blender.
2. Pour over the oyster, and garnish with scallion slices, and sprouts. Serve immediately.
Make sure the oysters you use are very fresh (your fishmonger should be able to tell you this). If you prefer, use scallops instead of oysters.
