Recipe: ceviche (as a starter or light main course on a beautiful summer evening)

In Code Noir, Lelani Lewis goes back to the roots of her Caribbean food culture. Caribbean cuisine is a melting pot of cultures, ingredients, flavours and cooking techniques brought over from four continents over the centuries. Lelani shares classic as well as new dishes with typical flavours such as corn, coconut, lime and ginger, all of which feature in this delicious ceviche.

This ceviche is refreshing, sour, spicy, sweet and creamy, and incredibly easy to make. We don’t want to get ahead of ourselves, but this ceviche could well become your new standard when you have guests over – double or triple the quantities in that case. Serve as a starter or light main course on a beautiful summer evening. You can also leave out the chayote, but it does add a lovely crunchy texture.

How to make the ceviche

• Slice the chayote and red onion into thin slices using a mandoline and set aside.
• Cut the peel (including the white pith) off the orange; the easiest way is to first cut off the top and bottom. Cut the segments out of the orange between the membranes and set aside.
• Squeeze the limes and lemon into a bowl and mix with the green seasoning.
• Cut the sea bass into small cubes and place in the bowl with the green seasoning citrus juice.
• Add plenty of salt and pepper and leave to marinate for 5 minutes.
• Remove the skin and pit from the avocado and slice the flesh lengthwise.
• Divide the fish between two plates and spoon over some extra green seasoning citrus marinade. Add some orange segments, red onion, chayote, avocado and plantain chips, and serve immediately.

How to make the green seasoning

• Put all the ingredients with 50 millilitres of water in a blender and blend until smooth.
• Spoon into a sterilised jar and keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Title: Code Noir
Author: Lelani Lewis
Price: €39,99
Publisher: Nijgh & Van Ditmar

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