← All recipes · Species guide: Flounder
Peru · Flounder

Classic Peruvian Flounder Ceviche

Ceviche de Lenguado

Lima’s national treasure, made the old-school way with lenguado: very fresh fish, key lime juice, red onion, ají limo and cilantro, mixed and served in minutes.

  • Prep 25 min
  • Cook 0 min
  • Serves 4
  • Level Easy
Photo: Dtarazona · CC BY-SA 3.0
Served with: Glazed Sweet Potato and Andean Corn ↓En Español

Ingredients

Tap each item as you gather it.

For the ceviche

To serve

Method

Step by step, the way it is done on the island.

  1. Chill and cut. Keep the fish very cold. Cut it into ¾-inch (2 cm) cubes and put it in a chilled glass or ceramic bowl. Rinse the onion slices in cold water and drain.
  2. Season the fish. Sprinkle the fish with the salt, garlic and ají and toss gently. Let it sit 1 minute.
  3. Add the lime. Squeeze the limes right over the fish, without pressing too hard (squeezing the peel makes it bitter). Add the ice cubes and stir gently 1–2 minutes.
  4. Finish. Remove the ice, fold in the onion and cilantro and taste for salt and heat. The fish should be white on the outside and still tender inside.
  5. Serve right away. Spoon into bowls on lettuce with its juice (leche de tigre) and put sweet potato and corn alongside.

On the side

The side dish that belongs with it, full recipe included.

Peru

Glazed Sweet Potato and Andean Corn

Camote y Choclo

Thick slices of sweet potato and big-kernel Andean corn on the cob, the two sides every Peruvian ceviche is served with. The sweetness cools the lime and chili.

  • Prep 10 min
  • Cook 30 min
  • Serves 4
  • Level Easy

You need

  • 2 medium orange sweet potatoes (camote)
  • 2 ears of corn (Peruvian choclo or sweet corn)
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 2 whole cloves
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • ½ tsp salt

How to make it

  1. Cook the sweet potato. Put the whole, unpeeled sweet potatoes in a pot with water to cover, the sugar, cinnamon and cloves. Simmer 25–30 minutes until tender. Peel and cut into thick rounds.
  2. Cook the corn. In another pot, boil the corn in unsalted water with a pinch of sugar: 15–20 minutes for choclo, 5–7 for sweet corn. Cut into thick wheels.
  3. Serve. Brush the corn with butter and sprinkle with salt. Arrange both next to ceviche or fried fish.

Photo: Dtarazona · CC BY-SA 3.0

More ways to cook Flounder

Same fish, a different corner of the sea.

Cádiz, SpainFlounder with Garlic and Chili Oil
Lisbon, PortugalFlounder Belle Meunière
Peniche, PortugalPortuguese Grilled Whole Flounder
Outer Banks, North CarolinaOuter Banks Crab-Stuffed Flounder