Tiradito de Pescado

Ingredients

• 1 lb sashimi-grade white fish fillet (sea bass, halibut, or flounder), skin removed
• 3/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (about 8-10 limes)
• 2 tbsp seeded and chopped aji amarillo paste or fresh aji amarillo
• 1 small garlic clove
• 1/2 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled
• 1/4 tsp fish sauce
• Salt, to taste
• White pepper, to taste
• 1/4 red onion, very thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Before you cook

• Trim the fish fillet of any dark or sinewy bits, reserving a small handful of trimmings for the sauce
• Wrap the trimmed fillet in plastic wrap and place it in the freezer for 15 minutes to firm it up for slicing
• Slice the red onion paper-thin and soak it in ice water to mellow its bite
• Squeeze the limes

Steps

1. Combine the reserved fish trimmings, lime juice, aji amarillo, garlic, ginger, fish sauce, salt, and white pepper in a blender
2. Blend the mixture on high until completely smooth
3. Pour the blended sauce through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing firmly with a spoon to extract all the liquid, then discard the solids left in the sieve
4. Taste the strained leche de tigre and adjust the salt or lime juice
5. Chill the leche de tigre in the refrigerator until cold
6. Remove the firmed fish fillet from the freezer
7. Slice the fish against the grain into thin pieces, about 1/4 inch thick, using a long, sharp knife in one smooth draw per slice
8. Fan the fish slices out in a single layer over a wide, chilled plate
9. Drain the sliced red onion and scatter it over the fish
10. Spoon the cold leche de tigre generously over the fish just before serving so it lightly cures the surface
11. Drizzle the olive oil over the top
12. Scatter the chopped cilantro over the plate and serve immediately