Chiclayo-inspired ceviche for sharing

Boil the sweet yuca.Pour 1800 ml water into a deep saucepan and bring it to a rolling boil over medium-high heat, about 5 minutes. Add the 460 g peeled sweet yuca and keep the chunks submerged at a steady boil for 25 minutes. Drain and discard the cooking water, then pull away any tough central fibre. A knife slides through the centre of every yuca chunk without encountering a hard, chalky core; the pieces hold together when lifted. Safety: Choose only food-grade sweet cassava, peel it fully and cook it thoroughly; bitter cassava needs specialist processing and cannot be used here.

Let the boiled yuca shed steam.Transfer the drained yuca to a clean platter with tongs. While portioning the beans in the next step, let the yuca lose its surface steam for about 3 minutes; keep it away from the raw-fish bowl. The yuca is fork-tender, retains its shape and no longer releases visible steam. Safety: Handle it with utensils separate from those used for raw fish.

Portion the cooked beans.Rinse only if the 360 g cooked zarandaja were packed in salty brine; then drain thoroughly and divide between the serving plates. The beans are tender and free of excess packing liquid. Safety: Choose fully cooked, refrigerated or freshly prepared zarandaja; never serve the beans raw or undercooked.

Cut and chill the fish.Take 650 g skinless, boneless firm white sea-fish fillets suitable for raw serving from cold storage at 4 °C or below. Inspect for bones, cut into even 2 cm pieces with a clean sharp knife and immediately put the covered bowl back into cold storage at 4 °C or below. The pieces are evenly sized, free of pin bones and still feel thoroughly chilled. Safety: Choose fish obtained specifically for raw preparation from a trustworthy fishmonger; keep it at 4 °C or below, and avoid cross-contamination.

Measure the bright dressing.In a separate chilled nonreactive bowl, stir together 240 ml freshly squeezed lime juice, 16 g chopped ají limo and 6 g salt. Stir briefly until the salt is dispersed and the chilli is distributed. The liquid is fragrant and the salt granules are no longer visibly sitting at the base. Safety: Maintain the dressing chilled; lime is seasoning, not a pathogen-killing cooking method.

Toss fish and aromatics.Place the chilled fish in the serving bowl, pour over all the lime dressing and fold in 210 g thin red onion and 15 g chopped cilantro. Toss once or twice to coat without crushing the fish. Every fish piece is lightly coated and the onion strips remain crisp and distinct. Safety: Maintain raw fish away from prepared vegetables and work promptly on a clean surface.

Give the seasoning brief contact.Hold the dressed fish at 4 °C or below for 3 minutes, without extending the waiting period as a substitute for safe seafood sourcing. The fish remains raw despite the lime. The fish surface has tightened slightly but the cubes are not mushy. Safety: Hold at 4 °C or below; citrus does not reliably destroy parasites or harmful microbes.

Fold in the cooked prawns.Take the 220 g fully cooked, chilled, drained prawns from cold storage at 4 °C or below. Fold them gently into the ceviche immediately before plating, using the same bowl and reserving no mixed seafood for later service. The prawns are cold, intact and evenly lightly coated with the citrus dressing. Safety: Fully cooked prawns become part of a raw-fish mixture; treat the entire mixture as raw seafood.

Plate and serve without delay.Divide the fish and dressing between 5 chilled plates and arrange the prepared cassava, zarandaja beans, chifles separately beside it. Add the crisp packaged garnish only at the table so it does not absorb the dressing. The raw fish is cool, the vegetables are in distinct portions and any crunchy garnish remains crisp. Safety: Serve immediately; do not keep a bowl of raw fish at room temperature for a buffet.