A cevichería classic with no interest in playing modest. Golden fish stands up to a creamy, spicy seafood sauce with enough chili character to feel bold without burying the taste of the sea. Rice and yuca leave only one awkward question: who is going to waste the last spoonful of sauce?
Turn what you find into an experience you can actually bring to your kitchen.
Peel the yuca, cut it into medium pieces, and remove the thick central fiber if visible. Place it in a pot with the water and a small portion of the salt; simmer for 15 to 18 minutes, until tender and just beginning to split slightly through the center. Drain and keep warm while you prepare the rest.
Pat the fish fillets very dry with paper towels and season them with part of the salt and black pepper. Dredge lightly in the flour and shake off the excess thoroughly. The coating should look thin and dry; too much flour will detach once the sauce is added.
Heat most of the vegetable oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the fish for 3 to 4 minutes per side, working in batches if necessary, until deeply golden outside and opaque through the center. Drain on paper towels and keep warm without covering so the crust stays intact.
Discard the frying oil and wipe any dark flour residue from the skillet. Return it to medium heat with the remaining oil and the butter. Cook the red onion for 5 minutes, until soft; add the garlic, yellow chili paste, ají panca paste, tomato paste, chopped rocoto, the remaining black pepper, and the remaining salt. Cook for 4 minutes, stirring often, until the base is thick, glossy, and no longer smells of raw chili.
Pour in the fumet and scrape the bottom of the skillet. Simmer for 3 minutes to concentrate the sauce, then add the cream. Once it begins bubbling again, add the mixed seafood and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, just until opaque, hot, and tender. Turn off the heat and stir in most of the cilantro; the sauce should coat a spoon without becoming pasty.
Warm the cooked white rice and divide the rice and yuca among the plates. Set the fish on top and spoon over enough sauce and seafood to cover much of each fillet without completely drowning the crust. Finish with the remaining cilantro. The right result keeps the fish firm beneath the sauce, the seafood tender, and the heat arriving after the first wave of flavor. Done! Keep some rice nearby—that sauce was not made to stay on the plate. 😌
