Ceviche Mixto

Mixed Seafood Ceviche with Ají Amarillo Tiger’s Milk

Ceviche mixto is the most traditional Peruvian ceviche, made with whatever mixed fish was caught that day. Use this recipe more as a guide and choose whatever is the best-looking seafood you find at the market, but stay away from oily fish (see page 80). Keep a bag of choclo, the Peruvian corn served with ceviche, in the freezer and plenty of limes on hand, and you can have an incredible lunch on the table in a few minutes.

I like to very quickly blanch scallops and squid before using them in ceviche so you get a contrasting texture with the raw fish (squid, like octopus, should always be partially cooked before being eaten). A fast dip in boiling water is all they need. Shrimp you need to cook a little longer. Cancha, the crunchy Andean popped corn kernels, and camote, boiled sweet potato, are the traditional garnishes for ceviche. (I don't always include sweet potato, but if you boil some for another dish, chill and slice the leftover and tuck a few pieces alongside the fish.) In Peru, you also always find choclo, the giant white corn kernels, alongside. Together, they round out all the other flavors and textures dancing around in the ceviche, but it would be a shame to skip making ceviche just because you don’t have them around. The seafood will still be delicious on its own.

Whole calamari with the tentacles give the ceviche a great texture contrast, but you can use the rings. Cilantro is the traditional garnish for ceviche, but lately I’ve been loving the baby leaves from stalks of celery or micro greens. The more delicate flavors are really nice with the fish.

• Kosher salt
• 4 jumbo sea scallops, or 10 to 12 smaller bay scallops
• 3 ounces whole squid bodies and tentacles, bodies cut into ¼-inch rings and tentacles cut into 2 or 3 pieces if large, or about ½ cup sliced squid rings
• 4 extra-large or 8 medium-large shrimp, peeled and deveined but tails intact, butterflied if large (see page 123)
• ½ medium red onion, heart removed (use it to make Leche de Tigre, page 78)
• 1 pound firm white-fleshed fish such as corvina, striped bass, yellowtail, paiche, or halibut, cut into generous 1½-inch cubes (about 2 cups) and well chilled
• About 1 cup Ají Amarillo Leche de Tigre (page 78), well chilled
• Pureed garlic (page 37), as desired
• About 1½ cups choclo (see page 28; optional)
• A few handfuls of Cancha (page 46; optional)
• ¼ bunch fresh cilantro, roughly chopped, a small handful of roughly chopped celery leaves, or a small handful of micro greens

1 Fill a large bowl with ice and water (use plenty of ice). Fill a medium saucepan halfway with water, add about 1 teaspoon salt, and bring the water to a boil.

2 Put the scallops in a strainer with a handle, lower the strainer into the water, and immediately remove the strainer from the water. Transfer the scallops to the prepared ice bath. Return the water to a boil and quickly blanch the squid in the same way. Return the water to a boil one more time, drop the shrimp directly into the water, and cook until the flesh barely begins to turn white all over, at least 30 seconds or up to 1 minute, depending on how big they are. Drain the shrimp and immediately add them to the ice bath. Let the seafood chill in the ice bath for a few minutes, then transfer them to paper towels to lightly dry. Use the blanched seafood immediately, or transfer to a covered container and refrigerate for up to 1 hour.

3 To make the ceviche, slice the onion “a la pluma” (see page 45) and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine the raw fish, blanched scallops, squid, and shrimp, and the ají amarillo leche de tigre. Use your fingers to gently toss the seafood in the sauce until well coated, add the onion, and toss again. Be careful not to break up the pieces of fish. Taste the ceviche and adjust the seasonings by tossing the seafood with salt and a little pureed garlic, if you like. Make it your own.

4 Spoon the ceviche into the center of each of four wide, shallow serving bowls. If using, spoon the choclo and cancha on one side of each bowl, and scatter the cilantro on top. Serve inmediatamente.