My Version of a Favorite Dish from Yunta in Charlotte
Real food. Real flavor. Real life.
There are some dishes that stay with you long after the meal is finished. For me, this is one of them.
This recipe is inspired by my favorite dish at one of our favorite restaurants, Yunta, a beautiful Peruvian restaurant in Charlotte, North Carolina. Their dish is bright, clean, fresh, acidic, spicy, and perfectly balanced. This is not their recipe. This is my version, built around the same idea: fresh white fish, a cold tiger milk, lime, chili, cilantro, onion, ginger, garlic, and just enough heat to wake everything up.
Tiger milk, or leche de tigre, is the bright, acidic, aromatic base traditionally associated with Peruvian ceviche. It is not simply “ceviche sauce.” It is where acid, heat, salt, herbs, aromatics, and seafood all meet. When it is done well, it should taste alive.
This MW&B version keeps the dish light, protein-rich, refreshing, and full of real ingredients. It is elegant enough for a dinner party but simple enough to make at home on a Tuesday evening to enjoy with your partner.
Tiger Milk Ceviche
Serves
4 as a starter
2 as a light main course
Prep Time
25 minutes
Chill Time
15–20 minutes
Total Time
40–45 minutes
Ingredients
For the Fish
- 1 lb very fresh white fish, such as sea bass, halibut, fluke, snapper, or cod
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
For the Tiger Milk
- ½ cup fresh lime juice
- ¼ cup fish stock or cold water
- ¼ cup clean white fish trimmings, optional but traditional
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
- 1 small garlic clove
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, sliced or grated
- 1 small red or green chili, sliced
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon honey or a tiny pinch of sugar, optional
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
For Finishing
- 2 tablespoons finely diced red onion
- 1 small chili, thinly sliced
- Fresh cilantro leaves
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- Extra lime juice, to taste
- Flaky sea salt, optional
Method
Cut the white fish into small, even pieces, about ½ inch.
Place the fish in a chilled bowl and season with sea salt, black pepper, and 1 tablespoon lime juice.
Keep the fish cold while you make the tiger milk.
To make the tiger milk, place the lime juice, fish stock or cold water, fish trimmings if using, red onion, garlic, ginger, chili, cilantro, salt, honey or sugar if using, and olive oil into a blender.
Blend briefly until the mixture is bright, pale green, and lightly thickened.
Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes so the aromatics and fish trimmings can infuse.
Strain through a fine sieve into a clean bowl. Press lightly, but do not force it through aggressively.
Taste and adjust with more lime, salt, chili, or a touch of honey if needed. The flavor should be bright, acidic, lightly spicy, savory, and clean.
Pour the tiger milk over the chilled fish.
Let it sit in the refrigerator for 10–15 minutes, just until the fish begins to firm slightly and turn opaque around the edges.
Spoon the ceviche into chilled shallow bowls.
Finish with diced red onion, sliced chili, cilantro leaves, lime zest, a small drizzle of olive oil, and flaky sea salt if using.
Serve immediately.
Important Food Safety Note
Use only very fresh fish from a trusted fishmonger and keep it cold the entire time. Acid firms the fish and changes its texture, but it does not make poor-quality seafood safe. If serving anyone pregnant, immunocompromised, very young, elderly, or medically vulnerable, use extra caution with raw or lightly cured seafood.
This is where good cooking and basic common sense matter.
MW&B Why This Fits
Real Food First:
This dish is made with fresh fish, lime, cilantro, chili, garlic, ginger, red onion, olive oil, and simple seasoning. No bottled dressing, no heavy sauce.
Build and Keep Muscle:
White fish provides lean, high-quality protein, which supports muscle maintenance, recovery, and satiety. That matters in midlife because keeping muscle is one of the strongest foundations for strength, independence, and healthy aging.
Plants Lead the Flavor:
Lime, cilantro, chili, red onion, ginger, and garlic bring brightness, aroma, color, and plant variety. The plants are not just decoration here. They build the dish.
Light but Satisfying:
This ceviche is fresh and clean, but the protein from the fish and the richness from a little olive oil make it satisfying.
Flavor Is Compliance:
Acid, heat, umami, herbs, and salt work together. That balance is why this dish tastes exciting.
Reduce Harmful Inputs:
This recipe avoids added refined oils, heavy cream, excess sugar, and ultra-processed ingredients. The small touch of honey or sugar is optional and only used to balance the acidity.
Healthy Skepticism:
Fresh ceviche can fit beautifully into a healthy eating pattern, but quality and handling matter.
Estimated Nutritional Breakdown
Approximate per serving, based on 4 starter servings
- Calories: 180–260 kcal
- Protein: 24–32 g
- Carbohydrates: 4–8 g
- Fiber: 1–2 g
- Total fat: 6–12 g
- Saturated fat: 1–2 g
- Sugar: 1–3 g
- Added sugar: 0–1 g, depending on honey or sugar used
- Sodium: 350–700 mg, depending on added salt
- Potassium: 450–700 mg
- Vitamin C: good source from lime and chili
- Vitamin B12: good source from fish
- Selenium: good source from fish
Nutrition will vary depending on the type of fish, amount of olive oil, salt, and tiger milk served.
MW&B Serving Suggestions
Serve with:
- Sliced avocado
- Cucumber salad
- Roasted sweet potato
- Grilled corn
- A small portion of quinoa
- Butter lettuce cups
- Radish and herb salad
- Plantain chips or baked tortilla chips
- Chilled asparagus
- A tomato and red onion salad
For a lighter plate, serve the ceviche with cucumber, avocado, and herbs.
For a more active-day meal, add roasted sweet potato, quinoa, corn, or a small portion of whole-grain crackers.
Optional Additions
For extra color and texture, add:
- Finely diced cucumber
- Thinly sliced radish
- Diced avocado
- Sweet corn
- Roasted sweet potato
- Microgreens
- Extra cilantro
- A few drops of chili oil
Keep the toppings restrained. This dish is about balance, not turning a beautiful ceviche into a salad bar accident.
Chef Mark’s Tip
The secret to tiger milk is balance. You want acid from lime, heat from chili, aroma from ginger and garlic, freshness from cilantro, salt to pull it together, and just enough fish trimming or stock to give it body and umami.
Keep everything cold. Cut the fish evenly. Strain the tiger milk so it stays elegant. Add the red onion mostly into the dish rather than piling it heavily on top, so the texture is there without taking over.
Great ceviche should feel clean, bright, and alive. When every element is in harmony, simple ingredients become something memorable.
Real food, real flavor, real life.
