Ingredients:

  • 1.5 lbs fresh Sea Bass, Corvina, or Flounder, cleaned and cubed
  • 1 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 2 tbsp Aji Amarillo paste
  • 1 small knob fresh ginger, peeled
  • 2 cloves garlic, smashed
  • 1 tbsp fresh cilantro stems
  • 1 large red onion, thinly sliced into feathers
  • 1 cup Choclo (Andean corn), boiled
  • 1 large sweet potato, boiled and sliced into rounds
  • 1 fresh Habanero or Aji Limo, finely minced
  • 1 tsp Kosher salt

Instructions:

  1. Chill the equipment. Place your stainless steel mixing bowl in the freezer for 10 minutes. Note: Cold fish maintains a better texture.
  2. Prep the onions. Slice the red onion into paper thin feathers and submerge them in a bowl of ice water for 10 minutes until they become crisp and lose their bite.
  3. Create the infusion. In a separate small bowl, mix the 1 cup lime juice with the smashed garlic, ginger knob, and cilantro stems. Let this sit for 5 minutes.
  4. Strain the liquid. Pour the lime juice through a fine mesh strainer into your chilled large mixing bowl, discarding the solids.
  5. Build the base. Whisk the 2 tbsp Aji Amarillo paste and 1 tsp Kosher salt into the strained lime juice until the salt is fully dissolved.
  6. Add the fish. Gently fold the 1.5 lbs of cubed sea bass into the lime mixture.
  7. Flash marinate. Let the fish sit in the juice for exactly 3 minutes. The exterior should turn opaque and milky white while the center stays slightly translucent.
  8. Add the heat. Fold in the minced habanero and half of the drained red onions.
  9. Final plating. Arrange the sweet potato rounds and Choclo on a plate.
  10. Serve immediately. Spoon the fish and plenty of Leche de Tigre over the plate, topping with the remaining onions until it looks vibrant and fresh.