Wild Striped Bass Tiradito

with Aji Amarillo Salsa

Jun 11, 2009 Stuart Stein

Tiradito (from the word tirar or "to throw") is the less known Peruvian younger brother of ceviche.

Some say Tiradito origins are Japanese sashimi while others suggest it's ancestry is closer to Italian carpaccio. The major difference is ceviche is cut in bite-size cubes while tiradito is sliced in thin, long pieces. Additionally, Tiradito usually does not include onions and is often thrown together with Japanese ingredients.

Aji Amarillo, Capsicum baccatum, is a yellow Peruvian hot chili pepper with a distinctive, fruity flavor. If you prefer not to make your own, you can purchase a pre-made Aji Amarillo salsa at Latin American markets or on-line.

The success of this dish lies in the technique needed in cutting the fish and especially in the quality of your fish monger. If you take your time in both selecting and preparing the fish you will end up with a flavorful, quick and healthy appetizer. As Jen L. Karetnick wrote in The Wine News magazine, "[sushi, ceviche and tiradito] require ice-cold raw materials, ultrasharp knives and no-nonsense hands."

For information on wild striped bass, see Wild Striped Bass – A Success Story in Fisheries Management.

For the Aji Amarillo Salsa

• 1 cup red and yellow bell peppers, finely chopped
• 1/2 cupgreen onions, finely chopped (reserve 1 tablspoon for garnish)
• 1/3 cup red onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
• 1 clove garlic, finely choped
• 1 each aji amarillo chili, seeded and finely chopped (or substitute 1 tablespoon aji amarilo purée)
• juice of 1 lime
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the Wild Striped Bass

• 1 pound of wild striped bass fillet, skin and bones removed

To Prepare the Aji Amarillo Salsa: Combine all ingredients in medium non-reactive bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Let stand at least 2 hours.

To Prepare the Striped Bass: Slice the fish into thin stripes about 2-inches long, .75-inches wide, and .5-inches thick. Arrange the slices in a single layer on a cold plate. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

To Serve: Lightly sprinkle the salsa over the fish. Garnish with reserved green onions and serve immediately.

Substitutions and Options: Use any high fat fin fish such as yellow fin tuna, white sea bass, hamachi or farm-raised Kampachi or even a rich shellfish like bay or sea scallops, shrimp or squid.

You can substitute another hot chili for the aji amarillo, such as a green or red jalapeño or if you have an asbestos tongue, try a scotch bonnet.

Wine Notes: The clean and bright flavors of a sparkling wine compliments the heat and the acid in the salsa. A Spanish Cava, with its tree fruit and tropical fruit profile, is a great, fairly inexpensive sparkling wine and will bring out the best in the wine and the fish.

Recommended: Cristalino Brut Rosé Cava and Cristalino Brut Cava are both clean, crisp and generally available for around $10 a bottle. For a more adventurous and more pricey alternative, try Segura Viudas Brut Reserva Heredad ($22). As winemaker Gabriel Suberviola said, "Like a rich Chardonnay with bubbles, this limited production Cava rests on an authentic pewter base and comes in a handsome hand-blown bottle emblazoned with a metal crest of the Segura Viudas family."

Makes 4 appetizer servings

The copyright of the article Wild Striped Bass Tiradito in Recipes is owned by Stuart Stein. Permission to republish Wild Striped Bass Tiradito in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Aji Amarillo