"Lord of the Seas" Ceviche
By Roxanna Salaverry
Manos Morenas Restaurant
4 servings.

BLACK CLAM CEVICHE

40 black clams (conchas negras), closed
1 large red onion, finely diced
8 lemons
2 tablespoons chopped coriander
½ a unit “rocoto” hot pepper or 2 red (limo) peppers, finely chopped
1 tablespoon ground garlic
2 tablespoons fish essence (reduced Fumet)
Salt
Seasoning
Freshly-ground black pepper

Wash the clams well and open carefully so as to preserve the juices. Remove the insides and chop.
In a shallow glass bowl, place the chopped shellfish, juices, diced onion, finely- chopped rocoto or red “limo” peppers and ground garlic.

Season with salt, seasoning and freshly ground black pepper, add the freshly squeezed lemon juice and fish essence. Sprinkle with chopped coriander.


PRAWN CEVICHE IN YELLOW-PEPPER CREAM SAUCE

½ kilo yellow (limo)  pepper
½ a unit “rocoto” hot pepper
2 red (limo) peppers
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon ground garlic
½ tablespoon chopped coriander
1 sprig of celery
1 small piece root ginger
4 tablespoons fish essence (reduced Fumet)
Salt, White pepper
Seasoning

Wash the rocoto and yellow limo peppers, slice  open and remove the fibrous parts and seeds; put on to boil together with the sugar and vinegar. Once it starts to boil, change the water and put on to boil again. Once you have done this three times, drain and peel all peppers.
Once peeled, sauté in oil for 5 minutes, add a pinch of white pepper and blend. Strain the yellow peppers into a glass bowl and add cup of freshly-squeezed lemon juice, ground garlic, celery and ground root, fish essence, salt and seasoning, and finely-chopped red limo pepper and coriander.


FISH CEVICHE

½ kilo fresh fish, with preference from the North
1 onion
1 red “limo” pepper
1 yellow “limo” pepper
5 lemons
Salt
Seasoning

Cut the fish into ½-inch (1.5 cms) pieces and the onion into thin slices, place in a shallow glass bowl and wash well at least twice. Add salt, finely chopped “limo” peppers, seasoning and four ice cubes, squeeze lemons over the preparation and remove the ice.

TO SERVE
In a large Martini or kero glass of the kind used for Double Pisco Sour, place one serving of black clam ceviche, cover with a serving of prawn ceviche in yellow-pepper  cream sauce and top with a serving of fish ceviche. Garnish with finely sliced onion and sprinkle with chopped coriander.

Decorate the dish with orange and carob syrup glazed camote (sweet potato) and Canchita  Serrana. At the center place bowls of piurano chifles (deep-fried sliced banana).  Accompany with an iced beer or with a very Peruvian Pisco Sour.

Note:  This dish is a creation of mine in honor of our great national hero Miguel Grau in an attempt to combine into our ensign dish, the ceviche, the typical ingredients of his native city, Piura.