KINGFISH CEVICHE

The inspiration for this dish comes from time I spent in Central America, in particular when I was sailing in the Caribbean down the coast of Belize to Honduras. Anything we caught would generally end up being cooked that night for dinner and one of the favourite ways for the locals to ‘cook’ their food was in citrus — either lemon or lime juice. The acid works to slightly cure the fish, changing the texture and making it all the more enjoyable. Here is my version of a Caribbean ceviche.

PREPARATION TIME: 20 MINUTES

COOKING TIME: NIL

SERVES: 4

WHAT’S IN IT?

400 g (14 oz) sashimi-grade kingfish fillet (see note)

juice of 1 lemon

juice of 1 lime

1/2 long red chilli, seeds and membrane removed, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon caster (superfine) sugar

Garnish:

2 baby red radishes, thinly sliced with a mandolin

olive oil, for drizzling

coriander (cilantro) cress and purple basil cress, for sprinkling

30 g (1 oz/1/2 cup) shaved fresh coconut

11/2 tablespoons flying fish roe (see note)

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER:

1.   Using a very sharp knife, thinly slice the kingfish on a slight angle, sashimi style.

2.   Place the lemon and lime juices, chilli and sugar in a large stainless steel bowl and stir until the sugar dissolves. The dressing should be fairly sour with a slight sweetness from the sugar and a little heat from the chilli — taste it to ensure the balance is spot on. There won’t be much heat, as the chillies I’ve used are pretty mild.

3.   Set the kingfish and the ceviche liquid aside separately in the fridge. They only need to be combined for a short period of time just before serving.

4.   To serve, mix the kingfish into the ceviche liquid and allow the fish to slightly cure for no longer than 5 minutes. Drain the fish, reserving the liquid, then place the fish on a serving plate. Scatter with the radish, then drizzle with a small amount of the reserved liquid and a little olive oil. Scatter with cress, coconut and the flying fish roe.

NOTES: