Peruvian Hearts of Palm & Choclo Ceviche in Leche de Tigre

Gather

Ingredients

• 1 jar or can (14 oz) whole hearts of palm, drained, rinsed, and cut into 1/2-inch medallions
• 8 oz small white button or cremini mushrooms, wiped clean and quartered
• 1 medium red onion, sliced paper-thin into feathers and soaked in ice water for 10 minutes
• 1 fresh red or yellow ají limo chili (or habanero/serrano), seeded and finely minced
• 3/4 cup freshly squeezed key lime or Peruvian sutil lime juice (about 6 to 8 juicy limes)
• 1/3 cup chilled vegetable-kombu broth (steep a 2-inch piece of kombu seaweed in cold broth for ocean minerality)
• 1 celery stalk, roughly chopped (for the blended leche de tigre)
• 1 small garlic clove, smashed (for the blended leche de tigre)
• 1 thin slice fresh ginger (for the blended leche de tigre)
• 3 hearts of palm pieces (blended into the leche de tigre for silky white body)
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves and stems, divided
• 1 medium orange sweet potato (camote), peeled, sliced into thick rounds, and simmered until tender with a strip of orange peel and 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 1/2 cups cooked Peruvian giant white corn (choclo) or hominy
• 1/2 cup toasted Peruvian cancha (salted toasted chulpe corn nuts)
• 1 ripe Hass avocado, cubed
• 1 tsp flaky sea salt and 3 ice cubes (used during tossing to keep the leche de tigre ice-cold)

Make

Method

1. 01Prepare the sweet potato & choclo: Simmer the sweet potato rounds in water with a strip of orange zest and 1 tablespoon maple syrup for 12 minutes until fork-tender, then chill. Boil or steam the giant choclo corn until tender and cool.
2. 02Blend the Leche de Tigre: In a blender, combine the lime juice, chilled vegetable-kombu broth, chopped celery, garlic clove, ginger slice, 3 pieces of hearts of palm, a handful of cilantro stems, 1/4 of the red onion, and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt. Pulse for 15 seconds until milky white and frothy, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a chilled bowl.
3. 03Cure the mushrooms & hearts of palm: Place the sliced hearts of palm medallions and quartered mushrooms in a chilled glass or stainless-steel bowl. Season with 1/2 teaspoon flaky salt, minced ají limo, and finely chopped cilantro leaves.
4. 04Toss with ice & leche de tigre: Pour the strained leche de tigre over the bowl along with 2 or 3 ice cubes. Toss gently for 60 seconds so the ice chills and dilutes the citrus to the ideal balance, then remove the ice cubes.
5. 05Fold in red onion & avocado: Drain the ice-soaked red onion feathers thoroughly, pat dry, and fold two-thirds of them into the ceviche along with the cubed avocado.
6. 06Plate immediately: Spoon the ceviche and generous pools of leche de tigre into chilled shallow bowls. Arrange the glazed sweet potato rounds, giant choclo kernels, and crunchy cancha corn nuts along the side, and crown with the remaining red onion feathers and ají limo rings.