Kosher White Seabass Anticuchos with Aji Chile & Honey Marinade

A Peruvian Street Classic, Reimagined for the Kosher Table

Anticuchos are the soul of Peruvian street food—tender cubes of marinated protein threaded onto skewers and kissed by fire, sold at dusk by anticucheras from braziers along Lima’s bustling avenues. Traditionally made with beef heart marinated in ají panca and vinegar, anticuchos trace their roots to the colonial era, when enslaved Africans transformed offal cuts into intensely flavored festival food. Over centuries, they became universal: a dish that crosses every boundary of class, neighborhood, and background in Peru.

What is less often told is that Lima was also home to one of Latin America’s most vibrant Sephardic Jewish communities. Waves of Moroccan and Ottoman Jews arrived in Peru beginning in the late nineteenth century, drawn by commercial opportunities and relative religious tolerance. By the mid-twentieth century, Lima’s Jewish quarter had its own synagogues, schools, and a rich domestic cooking tradition that wove Peruvian ingredients into the fabric of halachic life. Kosher home cooks in Lima faced the same challenge anticuchos posed everywhere: the traditional recipe was emphatically not pareve—beef heart is meat, and the dish’s smoky, spiced marinade clung to a cut that has no kosher equivalent prepared in the street-food style.

The solution these cooks found was elegant and entirely natural: substitute firm white fish for the organ meat. Fish absorbs ají chile marinade magnificently—the acids open its surface, the honey caramelizes in the grill’s heat, and the cumin and smoked paprika impart the same earthy depth you expect from an anticucho. The resulting dish is fully pareve, weeknight-quick, and arguably more delicate than the original. This version uses white seabass (Atractoscion nobilis), a prized Pacific fish with a clean, mild flavor and a firm enough texture to hold on a skewer without falling apart.

We pair the skewers with a semilla salsa—a blended sauce of toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds), lime, garlic, and fresh herbs—and a bright herb salad that acts as a cool counterpoint to the smoky fish. The whole plate reads as modern Peruvian-Jewish cooking at its best: deeply rooted in two traditions, technically sound, halachically sound, and genuinely delicious.

Ingredients

Ají Chile & Honey Marinade

Fish & Skewers

Semilla Salsa (Pepita Herb Sauce)

Herb Salad

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1 — Check and Prepare the Fish

At the fishmonger, confirm that scales are present on the white seabass skin. Once home, if the fish is not already filleted, remove the skin and run your fingers along the fillet to feel for pin bones; remove any with tweezers. Pat the fillets completely dry with paper towels—excess surface moisture will dilute the marinade and cause steaming rather than caramelization on the grill. Cut the fillets into uniform 3 cm (1¼ in) cubes. Uniformity is important for even cooking on the skewer.

Step 2 — Check the Herbs

Place the cilantro, parsley, and mint in a bowl of cold salted water. Agitate gently and let soak for 5 minutes. Lift the herbs out (do not pour through a strainer, which can re-deposit insects), then inspect each leaf against a bright light or light box. Discard any leaves with visible insects or damage. Spin dry in a salad spinner and refrigerate wrapped in a damp paper towel until needed.

Step 3 — Make the Ají Chile & Honey Marinade

In a medium bowl, whisk together the ají amarillo paste, olive oil, honey, orange juice, minced garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper until fully emulsified. Taste: the marinade should be fruity, mildly spicy, and slightly sweet, with a detectable saltiness. Adjust with more salt or honey if needed. Reserve 3 tablespoons of marinade in a separate small bowl to use as a basting liquid while grilling—never use marinade that has touched raw fish for basting once cooking begins.

Step 4 — Marinate the Fish

Add the white seabass cubes to the marinade and toss gently to coat every surface. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Do not exceed 1 hour: the acid in the orange juice will begin to denature the proteins (essentially curing the fish), which changes the texture and causes the cubes to fall apart on the grill. While the fish marinates, soak wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes if using, to prevent burning.

Step 5 — Make the Semilla Salsa

Toast the pepitas in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 3–4 minutes until they begin to pop and turn golden. Transfer immediately to a plate to stop cooking. Once cool, combine the toasted pepitas in a blender or food processor with the checked cilantro, parsley, jalapeño, garlic, lime juice, olive oil, cold water, and salt. Blend on high for 60 seconds until smooth, pausing to scrape the sides. The salsa should be pourable but thick—like a loose pesto. Taste and adjust lime juice and salt. Transfer to a serving bowl and refrigerate. The salsa can be made up to 2 days ahead; it deepens in flavor overnight.

Step 6 — Thread the Skewers & Preheat the Grill

Preheat an outdoor grill or grill pan over high heat for at least 10 minutes. You want the grates very hot so the fish sears on contact rather than steaming. Brush the grates with oil using a folded paper towel and tongs. Remove the fish from the marinade and thread onto skewers, alternating fish cubes with squares of red bell pepper and red onion. Leave a small gap between pieces to allow heat to circulate. Do not crowd the skewer.

Step 7 — Grill the Anticuchos

Place the skewers on the oiled grill grates. Grill for 2–3 minutes per side without moving, allowing char marks to form before turning. Brush the top-facing side with the reserved clean marinade just before each turn. The fish is done when it registers 63°C (145°F) internally and flakes gently when pressed with a spatula. Total grill time is approximately 6–8 minutes depending on the size of the cubes and the heat of your grill. Transfer immediately to a serving platter—white seabass continues to carry over cook, so pull it slightly before it looks fully done.

Step 8 — Assemble and Serve

In a bowl, combine the mint, cilantro, drained red onion, and cherry tomatoes. Dress lightly with olive oil, lime juice, flaky salt, and black pepper—toss gently. Spread a generous pool of semilla salsa on each plate or on a large communal platter. Lay the hot skewers over the salsa and pile the herb salad alongside. Finish with a drizzle of the salsa over the fish and serve immediately. Warmed laffa bread alongside makes an excellent accompaniment for scooping.

Troubleshooting

Frequently Asked Questions

Is white seabass (Atractoscion nobilis) actually kosher?

Yes. White seabass belongs to the Sciaenidae family (croakers and drums) and is covered in cycloid scales that easily detach—both fins and removable scales are present, satisfying the two Torah requirements in Vayikra 11:9. It is considered kosher by major authorities including the OU. When purchasing, ask the fishmonger to confirm visible scaling, or look for the word “scaled” on pre-packaged fillets. This is distinct from Chilean seabass (Dissostichus eleginoides), which is a different species—also kosher, but often confused with the Pacific white seabass.

What is ají amarillo and where do I find it?

Ají amarillo is a bright orange-yellow Peruvian chile pepper (Capsicum baccatum) with a distinctive fruity, tropical heat. It is the most important chile in Peruvian cooking and appears in everything from ceviche to causa. It registers around 30,000–50,000 Scoville heat units—hotter than a jalapeño but less scorching than a habanero. The paste form (pureed chile with no other major additives) is widely available at Latin grocery stores and online. Look for a brand with kosher certification. If unavailable, ají panca paste (a smoky, deeper-red Peruvian chile) makes an excellent substitute with a more earthy profile. In a pinch, a combination of sweet paprika and a touch of cayenne approximates the color and heat, though not the fruity complexity.

Can I substitute a different kosher fish?

Yes, with some adjustment. The key requirement is a firm, meaty fish that holds its shape on a skewer under direct high heat. Good alternatives include: mahi-mahi (similar firmness, slightly sweeter), swordfish (very firm, excellent for grilling, with kosher certification sometimes harder to find), tuna (ahi or yellowfin; marinate only 20 minutes due to tenderness), or large wild salmon cubes (fattier, slightly more forgiving if overcooked). Avoid delicate fish like tilapia, sole, or flounder—they will fall apart. Always confirm scales and fins at point of purchase.

What is semilla salsa and how is it used?

Semilla means “seed” in Spanish. This salsa takes its name from the toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds) that form its base, giving it a nutty, slightly earthy body that thickens the sauce without dairy. It is related to Mexican salsa de pepita and to the seed-based sauces found across Mesoamerican and Peruvian cooking. In this recipe, it serves three purposes: a spread on the plate beneath the skewers, a sauce drizzled over the fish, and a dip for bread. It is versatile enough to use on roasted vegetables, grain bowls, or as a spread on laffa or alongside burekas for a light pareve meal.

Can this dish be made for Shabbat or Yom Tov?

Absolutely. This dish is well-suited to Shabbat and Yom Tov entertaining. The semilla salsa and marinade are prepared Thursday or Friday morning. The fish is grilled on Friday afternoon, before Shabbat begins. Fish anticuchos are excellent at room temperature and work beautifully as a Shabbat lunch appetizer. On Yom Tov, where cooking is permitted from a pre-existing flame (with your posek’s guidance), fresh grilling is an option. The herb salad is assembled at the table just before serving. For a full Shabbat Sephardic-style menu, consider pairing with mufleta or a classic kosher bread for the Friday night meal.