The Only Mexican Chef Approved Ceviche Recipe You Will Ever Need
BY SOPHIE CHUNG
Ceviche in the way it’s meant to be.
5 MAY - 2025
From tacos to guacamole and quesadillas, Mexican food has earned a cult-like status across the globe. But as these beloved dishes travel, they often take a life of its own - sometimes a glorious fusion of flavours, other times… blasphemously butchered. Case in point: sour cream. Did you know it’s not even used in traditional Mexican cooking?
Call me old-fashioned, but I, for one, like to enjoy things the way they should be.
A few weeks ago, I showed Chef Luis Cabrera how I made my signature snack - guacamole - and while he claimed it “wasn’t bad,” the whole experience was pretty humbling. My chopping skills needed serious honing and while I was proud to have skipped the sour cream, it turned out that you’re not meant to put garlic in guacamole. Ya live and ya learn.
Chef Luis Cabrera
Another moreish snack that I love to devour but have yet to learn is the iconic Mexican coastal dish of citrus-cured fish - ceviche. So I thought, who better to ask than a born and bred Mexican chef to teach us the unaltered, proper way - with no weird Western twists. I’m not sure at which point the cucumber, tomato, jalapeno and garlic got thrown into all the ceviche recipes online… but this is not that.
“Ceviche is a classic in Mexico,” Luis shares. “We’re lucky to have over 9,000 km of coastline along the Pacific, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean. Most Mexicans enjoy it raw, simply marinated in lime juice, chilies, and coriander, and served with tostadas or crackers, a cold beer, or of course, Margaritas!” His version stands out thanks to a punchy combo of dried habanero and fresh ginger. The result? A smoky-citrus flavor bomb that’s balanced perfectly with the clean, rich taste of just-caught fish.
It’s time to leave the soggy fish cubes and rogue garlic behind - here’s the real-deal recipe you’ll ever need, straight from Chef Luis himself.
Ceviche Clasico By Chef Cabrera (6-8 pax)
Leche de tigre
Ingredients:
300ml fresh lime juice, plus extra to taste (not artificial)
200ml fish stock
200g white-fleshed fish trimmings
1⁄2 celery stalk
20g coriander, the stalks used in the leche de tigre, the leaves in the ceviche
5g ginger, peeled and chopped
Fresh chilli – or dry habanero if you have it
1 Tbsp sea salt
Method
1. Blend everything until smooth to make "leche de tigre"
2. Pass through a fine sieve and refrigerate until chilled (20 – 30 minutes).
Kumara
Ingredients:
1 kumara, peeled and sliced 1cm thick
1 cinnamon quill
1 tsp sugar
1. Place everything in a saucepan with water to cover. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat and cook until tender (5 - 10 minutes). Place in ice bath to cool.
Ceviche
Ingredients:
600g Trevally, cut into 2cm-thick diamonds
Juice of 4 – 5 limes
150 – 200ml leche de tigre
1 small red onion, peeled and very thinly sliced
1⁄4 cup chopped coriander
red chilli to taste (or Rocoto or other red chilli)
1⁄2 cup toasted corn kernels (we use The Baron Crispy Corn Nibbles)
Cos lettuce for garnish
Preparation
1. Gently mix the Trevally with a pinch of salt in a chilled bowl. Squeeze in the lime juice and mix, then add the leche de tigre and mix again.
2. Meanwhile, thinly slice the red onion and soak in iced water (5 minutes)
3. Drain onion, add to ceviche with finely chopped ginger, coriander and chilli. Gently mix, adjust seasoning to taste
4. Serve in a bowl with the kūmara tucked in and corn sprinkled on top. Decorate with cos lettuce and serve with an ice-cold Besos Margarita.
NOTES
Although my personal favourite fish for Ceviche is trevally, you can substitute with another white, firm-fleshed fish. The fresher, the better! For a vegetarian ceviche, simply replace the trevally with roasted mushrooms and instead of fish stock use a vegetable stock.
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