{recipe} Ceviche Peruano

WOW! This recipe is so fancy, so pretty! Looks like it’s from a 10-star restaurant. Not that there is such a thing. But… if there were… this would fit right in! It’s another great one from Cristina Archila, The Raw Food Artist.

This wild mushroom Peruvian style ceviche is the epitome of fusion cuisine. Inca peppers, Asian mushrooms, and Spanish onions marinated in lime juice.

INGREDIENTS (FOR CEVICHE)
(Makes 6 appetizer servings)
1 pack white beech mushroom – or any mushroom
2 cups oyster mushroom – teared finely
1/4 red onion – sliced thinly
1 ear corn – kernels only
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 ají limo – (peruvian yellow pepper) minced or
1/2 teaspoon peruvian yellow chili paste
4 limes – juiced
1 teaspoon agave nectar – or substitute with equivalent amount of favorite sweetener
1/2 teaspoon Salt
2 Tablespoon cilantro – minced
1/2 cup lettuce – or baby greens

INSTRUCTIONS (FOR CEVICHE)
Lightly tear oyster mushrooms lengthwise into bite size pieces. Toss with white beech mushrooms and mix with the sliced onion. In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil, minced chilies or yellow pepper paste, lime juice, sweetener and salt. Pour sauce over mushrooms and add cilantro. Mix well and allow to marinate for at least fifteen minutes.

Beech mushrooms are also known as crab mushrooms or shimeji. They are widely cultivated and carried by many Asian markets. These mushrooms come in 2 varieties: brown and white. For the ceviche I found that the white mushrooms work better. The brown have a slight bitter flavor and a tougher texture. These mushrooms are grown and packed in very hygienic conditions. Do not soak in water.

Oyster mushrooms are quite versatile and have a lovely sweet taste. To use cut off the lower part of the stems which are tough and discard. Tear the mushroom caps by hand to desired bite size. Mushrooms should always be cleaned with a paper towel or mushroom brush. Roots, stems and ends should be removed carefully.

Peru is the country with the largest variety of cultivated potatoes. It is a staple side with every meal. Camote, the peruvian sweet potato is always served with ceviche. These simple sweet potato bites go really well.

INGREDIENTS (FOR SWEET POTATO BITES)
(Makes 6 servings)
2 sweet potatoes – peeled and chopped
1 clove garlic
1/2 lemon – juiced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon agave nectar – or substitute with equivalent amount of favorite sweetener

INSTRUCTIONS (FOR SWEET POTATO BITES)
Mix potatoes, garlic, lemon juice, salt and agave nectar in a high-speed blender until smooth. Scoop small dollops onto a non-stick sheet and dehydrate for at least 2 hours. This purée is lovely cold, so if you are pressed for time, serve immediately.

INSTRUCTIONS (FOR ASSEMBLY)
To serve ceviche as an appetizer, line a plate or small bowl with lettuce or baby greens. Place ceviche in the center. Surround with sweet potato bites, corn kernels and garnish with microgreens.

It is very trendy to serve ceviche in Asian spoons as hors dourness. Make sure every spoon creates the perfect bite with a little piece of every ingredient. In this case I transferred the sweet potato purée cold into a pastry bag and served each spoon individually.

Another convenient way to serve ceviche is in a small glass. It is quite common to serve the corn directly on the cob. For a softer corn on the cob, place in a bowl covered with warm water and salt inside a dehydrator for 2-4 hours.

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PLEASE TAKE NOTE! We were psyched when Cristina Archila agreed to join forces with uncooking101.com to bring you best of the raw and living food world! We LOVE (seriously) Cristina’s recipes and want to keep a good relationship with her. Out of respect for how awesome sauce Cristina and her creations are, PLEASE do not repost her recipe without her direct permission. You may, however, and we even hope you will, post the link to Facebook or anywhere you like to get your friends over to the recipe. Thank you!

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