Tiradito Nikkei de Ají Amarillo
(tee-rah-dee-toh nee-kay deh ah-hee ah-mah-ree-yo)
Para Picar y Empezar
She drags an eight-inch slicing knife across the chilled fish. Long before fusion became a soulless buzzword in fine dining, strict Edo-style knife work met jarred ají amarillo paste; the result is the tiradito: pristine slices of fish, bypassing the extended ceviche marinade, dressed at the exact moment of serving in a vibrant emulsion of aji amarillo, lime, and soy. Keep the serving dish in the freezer until the exact minute you plate to ensure the citrus hits before the fish turns opaque, because this demands absolute respect for an ice-cold platter and a razor-sharp knife.
Before you start
Safely thaw your flash-frozen fish overnight in the refrigerator.
Never rush the thawing process at room temperature if you plan to eat the fish raw.
Ingredients
- sashimi-grade white fish1 lb
- lime juice1/2 cup
- ají amarillo paste3 tbsp
- soy sauce1 tbsp
- toasted sesame oil1 tsp
- fresh ginger1 tsp
- garlic1 small clove
- sweet potato chips1/2 cup
- fresh cilantro1/4 cup
- coarse sea salt1/4 tsp
Method
- 01
Place your serving platter in the freezer for fifteen minutes before you begin.
A cold plate is the ultimate secret to keeping the fish pristine and firm. Throwing the fish fillet in the freezer for ten minutes also makes it significantly easier to slice.
- 02
Whisk the lime juice, ají amarillo paste, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, and garlic together in a bowl.
Beat it vigorously until smooth and emulsified. For a truly restaurant-grade texture, blend it for ten seconds with a tiny scrap of the raw fish to bind the sauce, then strain. Keep it in the fridge until the exact moment of serving.
- 03
Hold your sharpest knife at a forty-five degree angle and pull it through the fish in a single, smooth stroke.
Cut the fish into translucent strips about an eighth of an inch thick. Never saw back and forth, as this will tear the delicate muscle fibers.
- 04
Shingle the slices of fish across your ice-cold platter, slightly overlapping them like the scales of a fish.
Keep them flat against the plate rather than piled in a bowl like ceviche. Cover with plastic wrap and chill if not eating immediately.
- 05
Pour the cold leche de tigre generously over the fish at the very last second before eating.
Scatter the sweet potato chips and cilantro leaves over the top, and finish with a pinch of flaky sea salt. Do not let it sit; a proper tiradito waits for no one.
Notes
Embrace the jarred ají amarillo.
Do not feel guilty about skipping fresh peppers. High-quality jarred paste from the local Latin market is exactly what the diaspora relies on for consistent, nostalgic flavor on a weeknight.
Understand the fish counter.
Sashimi-grade is a marketing term indicating the fish was commercially flash-frozen to destroy parasites. Buy high-quality frozen portions, like tuna steaks or vacuum-sealed flounder, and thaw them safely in the fridge overnight.
From Cook Peruvian in America.