This week I am writing my article from the Marriott Hotel in Lima, Peru, where the second-year culinary management students from Confederation College are on their international field placement.
Our students have the fantastic opportunity to work with some of the best chefs in Lima, applying some of the skills they have learned at the college.
Peruvian cuisine is one of the hottest trends in new restaurants opening around the world and is South America’s most exciting dining experience.
Most people have heard of Cusco and Machu Picchu and probably travel to Peru to see these amazing sites, but you could come to Peru and spend your entire trip visiting Lima’s restaurants.
The chefs here are cooking with a tremendous variety of fresh seafood, readily available from their huge coastline, along with some of the best fruit and vegetables in the world.
Some of the produce is quite unusual as it comes from the jungle, making their dishes even more intriguing.
Ceviche, a dish of raw fish marinated in citrus juice, onions, tomatoes and chillies, is one of the most common meals of Peru.
This dish requires extremely fresh ingredients, quick preparation, and knowledge of the spices and the acidity of the juice, which not only flavours but cooks the fresh seafood.
There are numerous variations of ceviche served in Peru, but the most common one uses scallops and shrimp.
One of the ceviche dishes prepared at the Marriott is made from fresh sea bass served with cooked sweet potato slices and corn kernels.
If you are preparing ceviche in Thunder Bay, you can easily substitute the sea bass with local walleye fillets. Enjoy!
Peruvian ceviche
(6 servings)
Ingredients:
2 lbs clean white fish cut in one inch cubes
10 small lemons
3 fresh chillies
to taste salt and pepper
2 lbs cooked sweet potatoes
3 medium onions, sliced
2 bitter oranges (optional)
1 tbsp ground chilli
2 large cooked ears of corn
1 lettuce
Method
- Put the fish in a large colander and pour boiling water over it. Drain well and place in a bowl.
- Add the onion, ground chilli as well as the fresh chillies, which have had the seeds removed and have been cut into small pieces.
- Add enough lemon juice to cover. If bitter oranges are not available add more lemon juice.
- Cover tightly and allow to marinate about three hours until the fish is cooked (white and not transparent).
- Serve garnished with lettuce leaves and the corn and sweet potatoes cut in thick slices.
