Ceviche-style prawn salad

Ceviche is a technique in which fresh citrus juice is used to cure seafood. Since we mostly only get frozen prawns locally, this recipe uses blanched rather than raw prawns.

Serves 4–6 as a starter Preparation: 20 minutes, plus marinating time

• 400g blanched prawn tails, shelled • 60ml fresh lime juice

• 125ml fresh lemon juice

• 1 cucumber

• 200g cherry tomatoes (or 4 ripe plum tomatoes), diced

• 1 small red onion, very finely chopped • 125ml chopped fresh coriander

• 1 pickled jalapeño chilli, chopped

• 2 ripe avocados

• about 30ml extra-virgin olive oil • Tabasco sauce, to taste

• about 500g nacho chips

1 Cut the prawn meat into small cubes.

Mix in the lime and lemon juice and leave to marinate for about 1 hour.

2 Cut the cucumber into quarters lengthwise and cut out the seeds of each cucumber wedge (the seeds make the salad watery). Cut the remaining cucumber flesh into small cubes.

3 Mix the diced cucumber, tomato, red onion, coriander and jalapeño. Drain the prawns and add that too. Stir the avocado through the marinade so that it doesn’t oxidise and then carefully mix with the salad so that everything retains its shape; season generously with the olive oil, some Tabasco sauce to taste and, of course, salt and pepper. Dish the salad onto a serving platter and serve it with the nachos.

Tip If you can’t get hold of fresh avocado, buy ready-made guacamole and spread it on the nachos before spooning the salad on top for the perfect snack! Feel free to substitute and adjust quantities to your liking. Peppadews instead of jalapeños will give the recipe a local flavour.