Tiradito is a Peruvian style raw fish dish similar to crudo or sashimi. This is my version that crosses many of these culinary traditions.
Many Latin markets carry a prepared aji amarillo paste. It is also available through Amazon. If you can’t find that or fresh aji amarillo, try replacing the aji paste with ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper or omit it altogether for a milder version. Sustainable and Seafood Watch rated “Best Choice” California white sea bass available online at ILoveBlueSea.com. I found the large grain Andean corn called choclo in the frozen section of a Latin food market in my neighborhood.
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh aji amarillo
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 yellow bell pepper, seeds and stem removed, quartered
- 1 teaspoon garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 4 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
- 4 tablespoon clam juice
- 1 pound white sea bass fillet (u.s pacific wild caught)
- soy sauce, as needed
- 1 tablespoon cilantro leaves, minced
- ½ cup cooked and salted choclo, hominy or corn kernels
Directions
Make the aji paste: Place aji amarillo in a saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer and cook about 5 minutes. Change water and repeat procedure twice more. Remove the aji peppers from the water and let cool slightly. Slip the peels off the peppers, cut, seed, and de-vein them. Blend with the oil until you get a creamy paste. This makes more than you will need.
Make the tiradito sauce: Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil, add the yellow bell pepper and boil 15 minutes. Drain and cool. Slip the skin off the pepper and place the pepper in a food processor. Process until very smooth. Add the about 1 tablespoon aji amarillo puree (or more to increase spiciness), garlic, lemon juice, lime juice and clam juice and pulse just until combined. Pour the sauce onto a serving platter with a lip. Chill until ready to serve.
Prepare sea bass: With a sharp knife, cut along either side of the dark bloodline that runs down the center lateral line of the fillet. Discard the dark flesh.
Trim away the thinnest edges and the belly flap, making sure to include the fine pin bones that reside just to the center of the belly meat. Each fillet has now been turned into 2 relatively uniform blocks.
Cut each block into ¼‑inch slices or thinner slices, and arrange them top of the sauce on the chilled platter.
Using a dropper place one or two drops of soy sauce onto each slice of fish. Garnish with cilantro and .
Dude, how did you know I have kumquats left from my most recent bbq challenge? Very nice.
This post made me recall this one from another local Knox foodie* about another Dicken’s classic, I think you’ll enjoy it: http://food-hound.blogspot.com/2010/12/holy-grail-of-christmas-puddings.html
*Yes.…there is actually more than one of us.
Greg: love this old fashioned post! your serving bowl is wonderful too. Merry Christmas 🙂
Greg — what an interesting and enjoyable post. I luv reading Dickens and make it a personal tradition to include “A Christmas Carol” in my holiday plans every year. A neat tid bit about the clerical drinks and would like to get my hands on that book you mentioned that Dicken’s grandson wrote.
Some good ingredients in this drink — would like to give it a try!
Happy Holidays to you!
This looks like the perfect little winter warmer. And are those kumquats floating around in the punch bowl? Amazing. I’m rather liking the three chalices, too!
Jax x
I’m definitely bringing this to my Christmas Eve party… after champagne toasts this will be perfect for sipping 🙂 Thanks Greg!
Given how cold I CONSTANTLY am, hot drinks are the only thing I crave at the moment. And that seems like a good excuse to drink…five or so of these…right? I love all of the spices in here. Mulled wine is a favorite of mine so I’m sure I would love this as well.
I like hot holiday drinks, especially in my neck of the woods when there’s freezing temps outside. The baked, clove-studded fruit as a garnish is a lovely touch.
I went to the store this a.m. to get the goods to make punche de navidad (a hot Mexican punch).
Yep- forget the flaming and avoid the risk of setting off the fire alarm, too.
And it doesn’t surprise me about the clergy and the potent potables. They usually have pretty well stocked liquor cabinets.