Ají Amarillo Base for Ceviche and Seafood Dishes

A smooth, strained ají amarillo base (not a paste) for use in leche de tigre, ceviches, tiraditos, and other Peruvian seafood preparations. Made by blanching fresh ají amarillo three times to reduce bitterness, then sautéing with onion and garlic, flambéing for a smoky touch, blending with cold water, and straining to a silky sauce.

20m Prep

15m Cook

35m Total

4 Servings

ají-amarillo base ceviche leche-de-tigre tiradito sauce chile blanching seafood-prep master-cook fundamento-peruano

Ingredients

50 ml Vegetable oil (Added cold to the pan before heating)
60 g White onion, finely minced (Minced very fine so it softens quickly and evenly)
10 g Garlic, minced (Minced fine)
250 g Ají amarillo (yellow chile), deseeded (Seeds and veins removed; blanched 3 times from cold water before use)
100 ml Cold filtered or mineral water (Added to blender to help liquefy the mixture)

Steps

1

Prepare the ají amarillo: remove seeds and veins from 250g of fresh ají amarillo. Place in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, drain, and repeat this process 3 times total — always starting from cold water. This triple blanching removes excess bitterness and reduces heat intensity while preserving flavor.

Consejo: Blanching from cold water is important — starting in hot water changes the process. Always discard the blanching water each time.

~15 min
2

Once blanched, chop the ají amarillo very finely. Meanwhile, heat 50ml oil in a pan over medium heat. Add 60g of very finely minced onion and cook until it starts to take on a light golden color.

~5 min
3

Add 10g minced garlic to the pan with the onion. Stir and cook briefly. Then add the chopped blanched ají amarillo. Increase heat and flambe the mixture — touch a flame to the pan briefly to impart a subtle smoky note to the base.

Consejo: The flambe is what differentiates this base from a simple sauté — it adds a subtle smokiness that complements leche de tigre beautifully. The ají amarillo benefits from this technique; rocoto (recipe 19) does NOT need flambeing.

~5 min
4

Transfer the sautéed mixture to a blender. Add 100ml cold filtered or mineral water. Blend at high speed until completely smooth.

Consejo: Use filtered or mineral water — tap water can affect the clean flavor of the base.

~2 min
5

Strain the blended mixture through a fine sieve, pressing gently to extract all liquid. Discard the solids. The result is a smooth, refined ají amarillo base — not a paste, but a pourable sauce ready for leche de tigre, ceviches, and tiraditos.

Consejo: The straining step is what makes this a base rather than a paste. Store refrigerated in a sealed container for up to 5 days.

~3 min

Cultural Context

Ají amarillo is the soul of Peruvian cuisine — the yellow chile pepper that appears in virtually every major Peruvian dish from ceviche to causa, from ají de gallina to leche de tigre. Victor Heredia teaches the distinction between a pasta (thick paste for general cooking) and a base (a refined, strained sauce specifically for seafood dishes). The triple-blanching technique is a professional standard to control intensity and bitterness while preserving the distinctive fruity heat of the ají amarillo.