Club + Resort Chef (C+RC): What was the inspiration behind this dish?
Daniel Montano (DM): I was born and raised in Bolivia. Growing up, my dad would travel to Peru often. He always talked about Peruvian ceviche and how the fish is eaten raw. That was a crazy concept for me to grasp. I was raised eating everything well done—and fish was usually way overcooked.
One time my dad called from the Lima, Peru, airport. He shared a few exciting details about his trip and then mentioned he had a surprise for me. He was bringing ceviche for me to try. As you can guess, it was inedible by the time he got home, but I was fortunate to visit Peru a few years later with my dad and tasted ceviche for the first time. It was a little weird initially, but I ended up loving it.
As a professional chef, I have always been obsessed with “fancying” ceviche up. So, hopefully, this dish is it.
C+RC: What about this dish makes you most proud?
DM: Many Hispanic cultures have delicious foods but fail to present them on a plate beautifully. It should taste good and look good. Most of the times I’ve had Peruvian ceviche, it is just a boiled slice of sweet potato. That’s boring. I am proud of the way sweet potato is used in this dish. You have sweet potato in a panna cotta form, sweet potato puree, and diced sweet potato. I flavor all of the sweet potatoes with roasted garlic and oil.
C+RC: How would you describe the flavors in your own words?
DM: It should taste like a super delicious fish broth with citrus to balance the flavor and make you want to return for another bite. The large white kernelled Andean corn adds a great texture and a different flavor than yellow corn would. The sweet potato panna cotta is a fun way to represent the traditional sweet potato served with Peruvian ceviche. The fish should firm up just a bit with the salt and citrus. The Rocoto pepper in the Leche de Tigre will add some spice. It is a refreshing dish, easy to eat year-round in Peru.
C+RC: Why is this the dish you chose to feature above all the other dishes?
DM: It is a dish I truly love. I will order it almost every time I see it on a menu. I want to bring a spotlight to Hispanic food anytime possible. It is a group of cuisines that can easily get skipped in the country club scene, unless it is the usual taco and fajita night food.
Peruvian Ceviche
Click here to view the recipe
