Markus Arnold serves up a surprise with a variation of ceviche, a Peruvian speciality, and wine expert Britta Wiegelmann pairs it with Peru’s national drink.
Have you heard of pisco sour? It’s Peru’s national drink. It consists of pisco, a brandy made from grapes, mixed in a cocktail shaker with lime juice, sugar syrup and raw egg yolk. It’s a pick-me-up with a high alcohol content and is usually served on its own in bars here. Back in Peru, however, it is also served with meals. Especially with ceviche, a speciality made from fresh fish or seafood marinated in tiger’s milk, a citrus marinade which practically cooks the raw fish with its acidity. That is also the principle behind Markus Arnold’s ceviche of zander from Lucerne. It’s original: as well as using lime juice, Arnold also adds verjuice, the juice from unripe grapes. With radish and piment d’Espelette, there is also an element of heat in the dish. Pisco sour makes an excellent accompaniment to all of that. Its sourness has no fear of the citrus marinade and its sweetness counterbalances the heat of the dish. Thank you, Lima and Lucerne, for this combination!