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Recipe: Vegetable Ceviche

South American cooking is gaining in popularity and a fresh, zingy plate of ceviche (vegetarian-style) would make a perfect dish for a Valentine’s Day dinner, here is a delicious recipe from the vegetarian cookery school; Demuth's.

Ceviche is a classic way of dressing and lightly cooking in Peru, using a marinade to lightly ‘cook’ meats and fish with the natural acidity of the dressing. However, ceviche also works brilliantly for crisp vegetables such as ocha, mashua, beetroot, carrots, fennel and radishes, which soften slightly with the acidity of the limes.

Serves: 4

Dietary: Vegan, Gluten free

Prep: 15mins

Marinate: 1 hour

Ingredients

4 medium radishes

1 small bulb fennel

1 carrot

1 ripe avocado-sliced

1 raw beetroot-peeled

sprigs of watercress

Ceviche dressing

1 whole lime-zest and juice

1/2 tsp sherry vinegar

1 tbsp soft brown sugar

1 small red chilli, finely chopped

Salt and pepper

Method

Slice all of the vegetables as thinly as you can with a sharp knife, peeler or mandolin. Place the vegetables, except the beetroot in a bowl. Keep the beetroot in a separate bowl, as it will turn everything pink.

Mix together the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until the sugar has dissolved fully. Taste and adjust the amounts of lime, sugar, salt and pepper.

Dress the vegetables, except for the watercress with the ceviche marinade and leave for up to an hour to marinate. Toss the watercress in just before serving.

Decorate the plate beautifully and share.

For more recipe inspiration visit www.demuths.co.uk.