Christmas salmon ceviche

This fresh and zingy salmon dish makes a change from the regular smoked salmon canape and is just as easy. Please just note that the salmon is raw and so this dish might not be suitable for everyone. Be sure to buy super-fresh salmon from your fishmonger.

You can make the marinade a few hours in advance and the accompanying toasts a few days or even weeks ahead – just pop them in the freezer. When you are ready to serve, all you need to do is stir the raw salmon through the marinade and its ready to eat. The citrus marinade will slowly cook the salmon. I like to eat it quite quickly whilst the salmon retains its tenderness – after about 25 minutes or so in the marinade it will have cooked through and the fish will firm up completely.

For the toasts, cut 8 slices of plain white sliced bread into kitschy festive shapes (or just into rectangles!) and then lightly toast on either side. Then slice the toast horizontally through the middle and toast the inside of each half too. Set aside until needed in an airtight container or freeze. If they go a bit soft then just pop them into the oven to crisp  back up again.

For the salmon marinade, squeeze the juice of 3 limes, 1.5 lemons and 1 clementine into a bowl. Finely chop half a red onion and half a red chilli (more if you like it hot) and add to the juice. Grate 2-3cm of peeled fresh ginger into the mix. Stir in 1.5 tsp caster sugar and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Now have a taste and see how the balance of sweet/sour/spicy is to your palate and adjust accordingly. Allow the marinade to rest for at least half an hour although up to 4 hours is probably fine.

Chop 2 boneless, skinless salmon fillets into ½ cm cubes and keep to one side until you are ready to serve. Stir the salmon into the marinade and then add some pomegranate seeds (I used about 1/4 of a fruit) and a small handful of chopped coriander to finish.

Serve with a spoon for people to pile the ceviche on top of the toasts (don’t do this in advance as the marinade will make the bread soggy).

Serves 6-10 (depending on how many other things you have to eat!)

Shopping list:
8 slices of sliced white bread (industrial loaves are fine for this)
2 salmon fillets
3 limes
2 lemons
1 clementine
½ red chilli
½ red onion
3 cm chunk of fresh ginger
Caster sugar, salt and pepper
1/4 fresh pomegranate
Small bunch coriander