Festive ceviche in the Chorrillos style

Steam the cooked accompaniments.Pour 850 ml water into a deep saucepan below a steamer insert. Arrange 360 g sweet potato, 340 g choclo in the basket without packing the pieces tightly. Cover and steam over a gentle boil for about 27 minutes; check the corn at 12 minutes and remove any piece that becomes tender earlier. Replenishing water should not be necessary with a properly fitted lid. A knife enters the sweet potato without resistance and the choclo kernels are tender but still hold their shape. Safety: Maintain the steamer stable and avoid steam burns.

Prepare the side portions.Lift the cooked accompaniments out with clean tongs, separate their portions on a clean platter and leave them to lose their surface steam. Do not put cooked sides in the bowl reserved for raw fish. The pieces hold their edges and no longer send off visible steam. Safety: Maintain the cooked sides separate from raw seafood and use clean utensils.

Cut and chill the fish.Take 600 g skinless, boneless 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 210 ml freshly squeezed lime juice, 12 g chopped ají limo and 5 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 160 g thin red onion and 12 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 200 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 4 chilled plates and arrange the prepared sweet potato, choclo, 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.