A northern Peruvian ceviche with a firm bite and plenty of bright lime. Chilled tollo meets crisp red onion, ají limo, and cilantro, with cassava, sweet potato, corn, and toasted maize completing the generous northern-style serving. Tart, fresh, and made to disappear as soon as it hits the table.
Turn what you find into an experience you can actually bring to your kitchen.
Peel the cassava and sweet potato, cut them into medium pieces, and slice the corn into rounds. Bring the water to a boil, add the cassava and sweet potato first, and cook for 8 minutes; add the corn and continue for 10 to 12 minutes, until the cassava is fully tender with no hard center, the sweet potato can be pierced easily without falling apart, and the corn is tender. Drain and let them cool while you prepare the ceviche.
Slice the red onion into thin feathers, finely chop the ají limo and cilantro, and have everything ready. Keep the tollo well chilled, remove any remaining skin or cartilage, and cut it into roughly 2 cm cubes. For this raw preparation, use tollo supplied as suitable for raw consumption and properly frozen beforehand for parasite control; lime changes flavor and texture, but it does not make unsuitable raw fish safe. Keep the cubes refrigerated until you are ready to mix.
Place the chilled tollo in a bowl, add the salt, ají limo, and cilantro, and toss gently for 20 seconds. Add the lime juice and mix for another 30 seconds; immediately fold in the red onion just enough to distribute it. Taste right away: the fish should remain firm and juicy, with bright, clean acidity. Do not leave it marinating while you work on something else.
Serve the ceviche as soon as it is mixed and arrange the cassava, sweet potato, corn, and toasted maize alongside it, keeping the toasted maize out of the juices so it stays crisp. The plate should arrive cold and lively, with firm tollo, crisp onion, and lime leading without drowning out the fish. And that's it—northern cevichería mode.
