Thomasina Miers’ beetroot ceviche with tarragon and blood orange recipe

Thomasina Miers says “‘ceviche-ing’ beautiful vegetables, at the peak of their season has become a favourite in my Mexican feasts”.

Although, if you fancy giving this recipe a go when blood oranges are not in season, normal ones are fine to use.

Beetroot Ceviche with tarragon, blood orange and avocado ‘crema’ recipe

Ingredients:
(Serves 6 as a starter or fewer as part of a light meal)

4 medium beetroot
2.5tbsp olive oil
30g sunflower seeds
1 avocado
1.5tbsp lime juice
2tbsp chopped coriander stalks plus small handful of roughly chopped coriander leaves
3 radishes
2 spring onions, finely chopped
Small handful of roughly chopped tarragon leaves
Fine sea salt
Cress or pea shoots, to garnish (optional)

For the dressing:
1 Scotch bonnet chilli (or a bird’s eye)
1 small garlic clove, unpeeled
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1tsp caster sugar
2tbsp lime juice
7tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Juice of 1/2 orange (blood or otherwise)
Salt

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/gas 6.

2. Rub the beetroot with one tablespoon of the olive oil, followed by a little fine sea salt, pop into a baking tin and cover with foil. Roast for one hour or until tender when pierced with a knife.

3. Toast the sunflower seeds in a dry frying pan (skillet) until golden. Remove and set aside. Meanwhile, to make the dressing, put the chilli and garlic in the dry frying pan over a medium–high heat and toast on both sides until blackened all over, about five to seven minutes. Toast the cumin seeds for 30 seconds in the same pan.

4. De-seed the chilli, cut into quarters and peel the garlic. Pound a quarter of the chilli to a paste in a pestle with the garlic and several pinches of salt, the cumin and the sugar. Work in the lime juice and finally pour in the olive oil and orange juice and stir to combine.

5. Blitz the avocado with the lime juice, one-and-a-half tablespoons of water and the remaining oil. Add the coriander stalks and two to three large pinches of salt and blitz again to a smooth, thick cream.

6. When the beetroot is cooked, allow to cool for five minutes, then pop on a pair of washing-up gloves and rub away the beetroots’ skin. Slice into rounds about 3mm, preferably with a mandolin. Arrange them in overlapping circles on a large serving plate and dress with the dressing while still warm.

7. Slice the radishes to paper-thin discs (use the mandolin if you have it). Scatter over the spring onions, coriander and tarragon leaves and the seeds and dot with the avocado cream. Serve at once with the cress or pea shoots.

Recipes taken from Meat-free Mexican: Vibrant Vegetarian Recipes by Thomasina Miers, published by Hodder & Stoughton, priced £25. Photography by Tara Fisher. Available now.