Salmon Ceviche

Ceviche is a very popular seafood dish in South America, especially in Peru. It has been declared as part of Peru’s ‘national heritage’. There is even holiday to celebrate this dish, to encourage more people to eat it.

Salmon ceviche

This dish uses raw fish or seafood and marinade in citrus juice. The chemical reaction of the acid in citrus juice will cure the fish. Since there is no heat involved in this process, it is advised to use the freshest raw fish to avoid food poisoning.

Traditionally, ceviche is marinated for about three hours. But the modern technique has been influenced by methods of making Japanese sashimi, similar to the Peruvian version of tiradito. The recipe I am using is an adaptation from Gordon Ramsay's cookbook, which marinates the fish for about 5-10 minutes in Asian inspired flavour.

The salmon edges are turning opaque and firmer, the same way fish would when cooked with heat.

SALMON CEVICHE RECIPE

adapted from Gordon Ramsay's Fast Food: Recipes from "The F Word"
Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 250g very fresh salmon fillet, skinned and thinly sliced
• small handful of coriander leaves, shreded
• small handful of young watercress (optional)

Dressing:

• juice of 1 lime
• 1/2 banana shallot, thinly sliced
• 1 red chilli, deseeded and thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbs sesame oil
• 1 tbs olive oil
• sea salt & black pepper
• pinch of caster sugar

Method:

1. Mix all ingredients for the dressing in a bowl and season with salt, pepper and caster sugar.
2. Set the dressing ingredients aside.
3. Thinly slice the skinned salmon and arrange them neatly on four serving plates.
4. Distribute the dressing evenly over the salmon.
5. Let it marinade for 30 minutes.
6. Scatter some coriander over the salmon.
7. Neatly place the watercress in the empty spaces to make the plates look presentable.

After marination, the salmon turned opaque as the citrus cures the fish