Peru's Chefs Show You How to Make Leche de Tigre (Tiger's Milk)

Tiger's Milk or the more traditionally called Leche de Tigre is a Peruvian sauce that forms the base of the country's most famous dish, Ceviche.

Leche de Tigre is usually made using lime juice, sliced onion, chillies, salt, pepper and of course the wonderful juices of the fish it helps to marinate. It's sometimes served with the ceviche and sometimes in a separate glass.

It seems that every Peruvian chef and home cook has their own methods for making the perfect Leche de Tigre and, as with every dish that carries such status, every person believes their own version is the best.

^{Gary Stevens/Flickr}

In this video direct from Peru we see a number of chefs and Lima locals discussing their own secrets for making Leche de Tigre, how some believe it helps to cure hangovers, and how some are convinced that a true Leche de Tigre must be prepared by a Peruvian.

^{Carlos Varela/Flickr}

It's a great look at the colourful country and shows just how diverse one dish in the same city can be. There's even an appearance from Virgilio Martinez who offers up his own tips for making leche de tigre.

Watch the tips below.

Want to have a go at making a zingy leche de tigre at home? Then follow this easy recipe by chef Martin Morales.

How to make leche de tigre by Martin Morales

Watch the London-based Peruvian chef, restaurateur and cookbook author whip up an alcohol-free tiger's milk cocktail with a kick, in under four minutes, in this very easy video recipe:

The dish has everything you want from a leche de tigre, as Morales hits those spicy, acidic, savoury, creamy and fresh notes with a combination of citrus fruit, seafood, chilli and coriander. 

Go wild on the garnish and let the finished cocktail do the talking. If you want to make it alcoholic you can always add in a generous splash of pisco.

Ingredients for Leche de Tigre

• 6 Fresh limes 
• Chunky slice of ginger
• 2 cloves of whole garlic
• Small bunch of coriander 
• Amarillo chilli paste
• Salt
• Red onion
• Red chilli peppers
• Chopped coriander leaves
• Passion fruit juice
• Avocado
• Celery
• Cucumber
• Scallops
• Prawns
• Crushed ice

Method

• Take the six limes, slice in half and squeeze juice into a large bowl. Add a chunky slice of ginger (with skin) two cloves of garlic whole (skin on and slice into with a sharp knife first) leave to infuse for a moment.
• Add a small bunch of fresh coriander and crush and break the stems.
• Next add a teaspoon of Amarillo chilli paste (you can use any chilli paste or even chop up some Amarillo chillies)
• Then finally add a couple of big pinches of salt.
• Give it a mix so the ingredients all come together.
• Then, finely chop up a bit of red onion, a little red chilli and some coriander leaves.
• Remove all the chunky pieces from the tiger's milk marinading in the bowl, leaving a nice smooth Tiger's milk.
• Add a couple of teaspoons of passion fruit to the mix to give it a little zing
• Then add the diced onion, sliced red chilli and coriander.

To assemble the cocktail:

• Pour the liquid mixture into a glass, add some crushed ice and top with a couple of scallops, fresh crab, prawns and diced avocado.

To garnish:

• Add a cherry tomato, sliced in half, some thinly-sliced sticks of celery and cucumber, spring onion and a red chilli sticking out of the glass for maximum visual impact.

Follow Fine Dining Lovers on Facebook