Ceviche masterclass

By Ellen Wallwork

Ceviche is having a bit of a moment and is appearing at an increasing number of restaurants. But while this Peruvian delicacy looks a la carte, it’s surprisingly easy to make in your own kitchen – and you don’t even need to turn on the oven! In its simplest form, ceviche is chunks of raw fish ‘cooked’ in citrus juice –it’s the acid in the juice that denatures the proteins in the fish, similar to traditional cooking methods, turning them opaque.

So, with curing raw fish making it into Kenwood’s top 50 food experiences to try in a lifetime, we decided to try our hand at making ceviche. We sought out the expertise of Fernando Trocca, executive chef of the Gaucho restaurant chain where ceviche has been on the menu for more than 11 years. He shared his simple six-step guide to preparing the dish…

 1. Cut the fish into small chunks

‘Make sure you select quality fish,’ says Fernando. ‘Fresh, locally and responsibly sourced fish is always best. The fresher the fish, the better the taste.’ Cutting the fish correctly is essential, too. ‘If the chunks are too big, the cure won’t reach the middle so the fish will still be raw.’

2. Season (optional)

Traditionally, ceviche is seasoned with salt. But the good news for healthy foodies is this is very much down to taste preference, so you can use as little salt as you want, or none at all. However, if you don’t add salt you’ll need to cure the fish for a little longer.

3. ‘Cook’

‘When preparing ceviche we refer to cooking, but it is actually curing,’ explains Fernando. ‘The citrus juices marinate the fish and seep through to the middle.’

Cure the fish in lime juice, then drain. The cure time depends on the type of fish and the size of the pieces you use. It can take from 30 sec (for thinly sliced tuna, scallops, lobster and sole) up to 5–7 min (for prawns). Cod and octopus need around 3 min.

4. Prepare the vegetables

Thinly slice red onions and cut vegetables into bite-size cubes. Popular veg choices include avocado, tomatoes and steamed sweet potatoes.

5. Make the marinade

Chilli, coriander and garlic are typically used in ceviche marinades, but spicy red pepper and tomato sauce also works well. ‘Spice is incredibly important,’ advises Trocca. ‘You want the dish to pack a punch with every mouthful.’

6. Assemble

Gently combine the cured fish with the sliced onion and the marinade. Serve topped with the sliced vegetables, with a grinding of black pepper and a sprig of fresh coriander.

Enjoy!

Get all your five-a-day in one dish!

By Harry Eastwood

This salad is a deconstructed version of ratatouille, which makes for a delicious, fresh and full-flavoured alternative to the traditional vegetable stew. It can be made ahead – and, in fact, tastes even better. It ticks plenty of health boxes as it’s high in fibre and low in calories, fat, saturated fat, sugar and salt. Most people can enjoy it, as it’s vegetarian, gluten-free and dairy-free. And the best thing about it? One serving counts as a full five portions of your five-a-day.

Ratatouille salad with anchovies and lemon

Serves 4

1 large aubergine, cut into small cubes

2 medium courgettes, topped, tailed and cut into very small cubes

4tbsp olive oil

1 large Spanish onion, peeled and finely diced

1 medium yellow pepper, cored and chopped into small cubes

1 medium orange pepper, cored and chopped into small cubes

2 garlic cloves, crushed to a paste

3 anchovies, very finely chopped

10 medium ripe tomatoes on the vine

Freshly squeezed juice of ½ lemon

Handful of basil leaves, torn from the stem

1. Heat a large frying pan until very hot.

2. Toss the aubergine and courgette cubes in the olive oil until evenly coated. Add them to the hot frying pan and cook over a high heat for 5 min, until the edges have turned a golden colour. You may find that you need to do this stage in two batches.

3. Tip the hot vegetables into a large bowl with the onion, peppers, garlic and anchovies. Season generously with pepper, then cover with clingfilm. Set aside for 10 min, while you prepare the tomatoes.

4. Chop the tomatoes in half and scoop out the seeds and centre with the help of a spoon. Finely chop the flesh, then add to the bowl with the rest of the ingredients.

5. Finally, squeeze the lemon juice over the salad. Set aside (wrapped in clingfilm) for 1 hr in the ambient temperature of your kitchen to let the flavours mingle and develop. Scatter the basil leaves over just before serving and add more pepper if needed. Serve with crusty bread, if you like.

SWAP IN/SWAP OUT

I love the savoury flavour the anchovies bring, but you don’t have to add them – this ratatouille is delicious without. You could include pine nuts if you want the salad to be a little more hearty and reduced-fat feta or mozzarella chunks are lovely thrown in at the last minute, too.

Per serving: 210kcal, 6g protein, 12.8g fat, 2g saturates, 19.2g carbs, 17.1g sugar, 9g fibre, 0.3g salt, 77mg calcium, 2.7mg iron

 

Harry’s supporting our mission to Fight the Fads – Make Every Meal Healthier. To find out why she’s rallying against the fad diet industry, pick up our October issue.

For more substantial salad recipes, check out Harry Eastwood’s A Salad For All Seasons (Bantam Press, £20).