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Mushroom ceviche
Ceviche de champiñones: sliced mushrooms 'cooked' in a sharp, spicy leche de tigre
Ceviche is Lima's great obsession, eaten at lunchtime in cevicherías all along the coast; this vegetarian ceviche de champiñones keeps everything that makes it thrilling except the fish. Raw mushrooms are sliced thin and tossed at the last minute in leche de tigre, the bright, peppery marinade of lime, garlic, ginger, celery and ají limo, so they turn silky but still bite back. Red onion brings crunch, coriander freshness, and on the plate it gets the classic Lima company: a slice of sweet potato, a wedge of corn on the cob and a handful of toasted cancha. Serve it as a starter on a hot day, straight away. Chef's tip: squeeze the limes gently by hand and stop before the pith; pressing hard or using a squeezer that crushes the peel makes the leche de tigre bitter.
- Total time
- 20 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the ceviche
For the leche de tigre
To serve
Method
0/9 doneStep 1: Put the sliced 1 red onion in a bowl of iced water while you prepare everything else. Soaking takes the harsh edge off and makes the slices crisp; drain and pat dry just before serving.
10 minStep 2: Wipe the 9 oz king oyster mushrooms and 7 oz chestnut mushrooms clean with damp kitchen paper rather than washing them; wet mushrooms dilute the marinade. Trim the stalk ends and keep the trimmings for the leche de tigre.
Step 3: Slice the king oysters lengthways and the chestnut mushrooms into 3 mm slices. Thin slices let the lime soften them in minutes; thick ones stay raw and squeaky in the middle.
Step 4: Halve the 8 limes and squeeze them gently by hand into a bowl, stopping before you press on the bitter white pith. Strain out the pips.
Step 5: Put the lime juice, 1 clove garlic, ⅓ oz fresh ginger, 1 stick celery, 1 ají limo, the mushroom trimmings, the coriander stalks from ¼ oz fresh coriander and 2 ice cubes into a blender with half of ½ tsp salt. Blend for 20 seconds, then strain through a fine sieve, pressing on the pulp. This is your leche de tigre: it should be cloudy, sharp, salty and hot.
Step 6: Season the mushrooms with the rest of ½ tsp salt in a cold bowl and toss. Salt draws out a little juice, which helps the mushrooms take on the marinade.
Step 7: Pour the leche de tigre over the mushrooms, toss and leave for 3–5 minutes, no longer. They are ready when the edges turn glossy and slightly limp but the centre still has bite; left for 20 minutes they go soft and grey.
4 minStep 8: Fold in the drained onion and the chopped leaves of ¼ oz fresh coriander. Taste a spoonful of the juice: it should make you wince a little. Add more salt or chilli if it tastes flat.
Step 9: Spoon into shallow bowls with plenty of juice and set a slice of 1 sweet potato, a round of 1 corn on the cob and a little pile of 1 ⅜ oz cancha corn on the side. Serve at once; drink the leftover leche de tigre from a small glass, as they do in Lima.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 110 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 22 g
- Fat
- 1 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does mushroom ceviche take?
- About 20 minutes in total.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of king oyster mushrooms?
- Aubergine, diced, same weight.
- What can I use instead of chestnut mushrooms?
- Aubergine, diced, same weight.
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