Mahi-Mahi Ceviche with Perfumed Lemon

Giacomo Bocchio's signature ceviche using a 'perfumed lemon' technique — lime juice infused with aromatics and fish trimmings instead of a blended leche de tigre. Clean, balanced, and deeply Peruvian.

25m Prep

40m Total

4 Servings

ceviche peruvian no-cook seafood mahi-mahi raw-fish lime summer classic

Ingredients

Ceviche

556 g mahi-mahi fillet (loin section) (blood line removed, cut diagonally into ceviche pieces)
red onion, feather-sliced (washed in ice water to remove sulfur; water reserved for limón perfumado)
ají limo, brunoise (deveined and seeded for less heat; half reserved to rub the bowl)
cilantro, chiffonade (chiffonade)
salt
black pepper opcional

Garnishes

100 g cooked sweet potato (camote) (cooked, sliced)
1 ear cooked corn (choclo) (cooked, kernels cut)
100 g cancha pintada (toasted Andean corn) (dry-toasted; also known as tostado in Tacna)

Limón Perfumado

100 g fish trimmings (from the mahi-mahi) (trimmings from filleting; adds natural umami)
350 g onion water (from washing the sliced red onion) (ice-cold water used to wash the feather-sliced red onion)
400 g Peruvian lime juice (limón sutil) (freshly squeezed, kept very cold)
120 g salt (used to macerate the aromatics)
60 g celery (roughly chopped)
12 g garlic, peeled (whole cloves)
194 g red onion (roughly chopped)
20 g ginger (kion) (roughly chopped)
60 g cilantro stems (stems only)
15 g ají limo (whole, for infusing)

Steps

1

Break down the mahi-mahi fillet: remove the blood line and separate the loin from the thin belly (buche) section. Reserve the belly and trimmings separately — the belly is better fried, the trimmings go into the limón perfumado.

Consejo: Cut the loin diagonally for more aesthetically pleasing ceviche pieces

~10 min
2

Slice the red onion feather-thin (pluma) for the ceviche. Place in ice-cold filtered water for a few minutes to remove sulfur compounds. Reserve the washing water — this is your onion water (agua de cebolla).

Consejo: The onion water is a key ingredient in the limón perfumado — don't discard it

~5 min
3

Make the limón perfumado: roughly chop all the aromatics (celery, garlic, red onion, ginger, cilantro stems, ají limo) and add the fish trimmings. Add all the salt and mix well. Let rest 10–15 minutes — the salt draws out the constitutional liquid from the vegetables.

Consejo: Salt is hygroscopic — it chemically 'squeezes' the vegetables. You should see a pool of liquid at the base after 10 minutes

~15 min
4

Lightly crush the macerated aromatics with a mortar (don't blend — you want flavor extraction without a purée). Add the cold lime juice and mix. Balance acidity by adding onion water and ice as needed. Taste and adjust salt.

Consejo: The limón perfumado should smell intensely of ceviche — cilantro, lime, ají. If it tastes sharp and acidic, you need more salt and onion water

~5 min
5

Strain the limón perfumado through a sieve, pressing to extract all liquid. Discard the solids. Keep the liquid very cold.

~2 min
6

Assemble the ceviche: rub the cut side of an ají limo on the inside of the bowl to perfume it. Add the cold fish. Season with salt and a touch of black pepper. Add the ají limo brunoise, cilantro chiffonade, and a small amount of the feather-sliced onion. Add a splash of pure lime juice directly on the fish.

Consejo: Keep everything ice-cold throughout assembly — temperature is crucial for ceviche

~3 min
7

Pour the strained limón perfumado over the fish. Mix gently. Add the remaining feather-sliced onion. Taste and adjust salt and acidity. Serve immediately.

Consejo: The ceviche is done when the fish turns glossy — it's releasing its own juices into the limón perfumado

~2 min
8

Plate with cooked camote slices, choclo kernels, and cancha pintada on the side. Serve immediately.

Consejo: Cancha pintada (also called tostado in Tacna) can be substituted with any variety of cancha or chulpi corn

~2 min

Nutrition (por porción)

220

Calorías

27g

Proteína

18g

Carbohidratos

Grasa

Fibra

Cultural Context

Ceviche is Peru's national dish and a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. This version uses perico (mahi-mahi/dorado), a fish that is mildly controversial in Peru but widely consumed worldwide under names like dolphin fish or dorado. Giacomo's 'limón perfumado' is a middle path between a direct ceviche and a fully blended leche de tigre — aromatics are macerated in salt to release their constitutional liquid, then steeped in lime juice. The onion water technique (washing sliced red onion in ice water to remove sulfur compounds) is classic cevichero knowledge. Cancha pintada, the Tacna-style roasted corn, is used as the garnish.