Ceviche
Fresh fish is "cooked" by being marinated in a mixture of mango, lime juice and chillies. The result is an appetizer with a wonderful fresh flavour.
Overview
Ceviche is a vibrant, no-cook appetizer in which fresh seafood is "cooked" by the acidity of lime juice, taking on a firm, opaque texture while retaining a wonderfully fresh flavour. The addition of mango, citrus segments, and fresh chilli creates a bright, tropical balance of sweet, sharp, and heat.
Ingredients
- 350 grams medium cooked prawns (peeled and de-veined)
- 350 grams scallops (removed from their shells)
- 350 grams salmon fillet
- 2 tomatoes
- 1 red onion (finely chopped)
- 1 mango (small)
- 1 fresh red chilli (de-seeded and chopped)
- 12 limes
- 2 tablespoon caster sugar
- 2 pink grapefruit
- 3 oranges
- salt
- pepper
Method
- Cut the scallop into 1 cm dice, and add them to a bowl with the prawns.
- Dice the tomatoes.
- Peel the mango and cut off a thick slice close to the flat side of the stone, repeat on the other side.
- Score the flesh with criss-cross lines, then fold the slices inside out so the dice stand proud of the skin.
- Slice the mango flesh off the skin and into a bowl.
- Skin the salmon if necessary, then cut into small pieces.
- Add the salmon, chilli, tomatoes, onion and shellfish to the bowl with the mango.
- Squeeze the juice of 8 of the limes into the bowl with the sugar and seasoning, stir and cover.
- Leave to marinate in the refrigerator for 3 hours.
- Segment the grapefruit, orange and remaining limes.
- Drain off as much excess lime juice as possible from the marinated fish and gently fold in the fruit segments.
- Season to taste and arrange on a platter.
Notes
- Use the freshest possible fish and seafood, the quality of the raw ingredients is critical for both safety and flavour.
- The full 3-hour marinating time is important; too short and the fish will not be fully "cooked" by the acid, too long and the texture becomes rubbery.
- Drain off the excess lime juice before folding in the fruit segments to avoid the dish becoming overly sharp or watery.
- De-seed the chilli for a milder heat, or leave seeds in for more kick.
Serving
Serve with: tortilla chips, crusty bread, or as a light starter on its own Temperature: chilled, straight from the refrigerator Amount: one platter portion per person as a starter
Storage
- Best served immediately after folding in the fruit segments; the texture of the seafood deteriorates over time.
- Any leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 1 day, though the quality will decline as the acid continues to act on the fish.
- Do not freeze.
Make the fish and seafood used for this dish is as fresh as possible.
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