Save
Canchita in Singapore is a restaurant that celebrates the rich culinary history of Peru. Run by husband and wife team Daniel and Tamara Chavez, it's a place that is welcoming, exuding warmth and conviviality the moment you walk in the door.
The cuisine of the two Chavez chefs, which is based on the rich traditions of the Peruvian kitchen serves as a gastronomic ambassador to a Singaporean clientele, just as the hospitality of the Chavez duo serves as an ambassador for Latin America’s rich and fascinating cultures.
Of course, you can’t speak of Peruvian cuisine without mentioning the dish it has given the world: ceviche, which both Daniel and Tamara specialise in.
“Ceviche is the national dish in Peru,” explains Daniel. “At the same time, for us, it is much more than just food. It’s part of our identity as a country which means that every single part of our society has contributed to evolve the dish. The Incas used chillies, fish and salt in their cooking, the Spanish brought onions, limes came from Africa and you can see the Japanese influence in the way that we eat it now. It is a dish that celebrates the beauty of our differences and how we have managed to come together as a society. And of course, it's delicious.”
Tamara, on the other hand, was born in Mexico but went to Peru as part of her culinary training. “I fell in love with it,” she says. “I went to every cevicheria I could on my days off. Sometimes I even visited three or four with some chef friends. I believe the dish itself has a balance and flavour that very few people can resist.”
The ceviche served at Canchita is slightly adapted to the Singaporean palate and local ingredients, but the essence remains the same. “Every community in the world eats in a different way,” she explains. “The job of a chef that is travelling and working overseas is to observe these habits and see how this can be incorporated into [her or his] own cuisine. Still, we have to ensure never to denaturalise the dish and its soul. The idea is how can your dish be enjoyed the most though the eyes of people far away from home?”
Their best tips for preparing ceviche at home? “Listen to music, dance a little and start cooking!”
Their recipe is below.
Peruvian ceviche clásico recipe
Serves: 4
Ingredients
400g/14oz fresh fish fillet (skin off)
200g/7oz red onion (peeled)
20g/0.7oz fresh chillies
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp fine salt
Tiger’s Milk (recipe below)
Garnish
Lettuce leaves
Canchita corn
Sweet potato puree
Sweet potato chips
Classic tiger's milk
50g/1.8oz white onion
5g/0.18oz ginger
6g/0.2oz garlic
6g/0.2oz celery
80g/2.8 fl. oz lime juice
30g/1 fl. oz fish stock
12g/0.4oz salt
50g/1.8oz ice
20g/0.7oz fish trimmings
1g coriander stalks
Method
When preparing the ceviche, ensure that all your ingredients are as cold as possible as temperature is a key factor to the success of the dish.
Cut the fish fillet into small cubes and place into a bowl. Add a pinch of fine salt and place it in the fridge. This will help give a firmer texture to the fish.
Cut the red onions using a fine julienne. Soak the onions in water, ice and salt. This will make the onions crispier.
In the meantime, prepare your classic Peruvian tiger’s milk by blending all the ingredients. Blend for a short while as you do not want the mixture to become warm. Refrain from squeezing the limes too hard as it will make the mixture bitter. Once blended, strain and put aside. The secret is to make extra tiger's milk and eat it all in one shot. You will love it!
Remove the fish from the chiller and strain the onions that are being soaked. Mix carefully with a spoon, adding the chillies and coriander after.
Proceed to add the tigers milk and let it marinate for a minute. Season to taste with fine salt and lime juice at this step.
For the potato puree, boil sweet potatoes in orange juice and cinnamon for 2 hours approximately until they are very soft. While they are still hot, blend to a puree and season with lime juice, sugar and salt.
Plate the ceviche by placing a lettuce leaf in a bowl with a spoonful of sweet potato puree. Add the fish, onions and tiger's milk. Garnish with sweet potato chips, canchita corn and micro coriander. You can use any sweet potato chips that you find at convenience stores.
Enjoy immediately!
International Women’s Day 2023
Canchita Peruvian Cuisine hosted an event to celebrate International Women’s Day this year on 6 March, supported by S.Pellegrino. The event focused on the issues facing women in the hospitality industry and featured talks by industry leaders, including Canchita’s chef Tamara Chavez.
Other speakers at the event included Johanna Siy, Head Chef of Lolla and Asia's Best Female Chef 2023, Violet Oon (STB Singapore’s Food Ambassador), Damian D'Silva of Rempapa, KF Seetoh of Makansutra and Cheryl Koh (Les Amis and Tarte by Cheryl Koh).
"We are not F&B Women, we are women who decided to work in F&B," said chef Chavez. "We need to work together, men and women, as there is a manpower crunch worldwide in our industry. Instead of building barriers we should create bridges as we need to inspire the new generation."
"Our industry has received a lot of bad press for lack of work-life balance, at the same time this is one of the most rewarding jobs in the world," she continued. "We have to redefine the narrative inside of our operations, knowing that this is a stressful job, there is no need to make it unbearable."
Latest
