London Ceviche Cook Off!

As part of our menu development, we had a cook off between Chef 1 (“The Quiet Octopus”) and Chef 2 (“The Fighting Seabass”). The challenge posed to these two titans of Peruvian cuisine was tough: To cook three dishes in less than three hours for a demanding jury of experts. You could feel the tension in the air as both chefs sharpened their knives, getting ready for what would be a truly memorable and productive evening.

Some of the ingredients (such as chulpi corn) were brought all the way from Peru via Spain. A variety of Peruvian chilis were employed in several ways. Fresh fish from all corners of Western Europe were brought in exclusively for the cook off. Cuts were precise, garnishes were carefully set…

And as the clock hit 7pm, it was time for:

ROUND ONE: Ceviche Clásico.

The main event had to come first, otherwise the freshness of the fish wouldn’t be optimal. Chef 2, The Fighting Seabass, honoured his nickname with a brash statement of intent. Accompanied by lettuce and corn, his ceviche had the right consistency and flavour, although the jury would have preferred the garnish to be more austere. The gauntlet had been thrown, just how would Chef 1 respond?

The Quiet Octopus opted for a corn and sweet potato chips garnish, choosing halibut as his main ingredient. The minimalist presentation was well received by the jury, who praised the mildness of the chili and the amount of lime juice. Technical draw? Time for:

ROUND TWO: Tiradito.

Not one to be outdone, The Fighting Seabass counterattacked with an even more colorful and generous version of tiradito. Keeping his beloved seabass as the base, the decision to add celery to the mix proved to be controversial, although the cut of the fish was correct. A really tough decision awaited the jury.

Showing that less is more once again, The Quiet Octopus invoked the spirit of the Samurai by creating a slick ‘tiradito nikkei’. This time tuna was the chosen fish, adorned with coriander and a piece of grapefruit. The jury was content with the dish’s freshness, but the cut presentation wasn’t entirely adequate for a tiradito. 1-0 to the Seabass.

The battle was intense, heated and delicious. Both chefs expressed their ideas from the start, and both made extremely competent dishes that thrilled the jury, but there was still one round to go and a winner to be chosen. Could the Octopus hold on to the fight with his subtle approach? Would the Seabass move forward with his characteristic boldness? Who would eat the final ceviche? Check back next week for the dramatic unfolding of this once-in-a-lifetime challenge.

*The first winner of the night was photographer Jorge Luis Diéguez, whose pictures captured the fast-moving, low-lighting action brilliantly. He really enjoyed the ceviche, too.