METHOD:

For the sofrito, soak the finely diced shallots in a bowl of cold water. Use a blow torch to burn the skins of the peppers and cherry tomatoes until they blister. Peel off and discard the skin. Dice the peppers (discard seeds and core) and cut the tomatoes into quarters. Add the chopped green chilli. Drain shallots and add to the chilli pepper mix. Heat the olive oil in a small pan over low-moderate heat. Crush the garlic clove with the back of a knife and add to the pan. Cook for 2 minutes then remove the pan from the heat and allow to infuse for 30 minutes. Strain the garlic oil into the bowl containing the chopped vegetables and mix well. Stir in the Aji Dulce or chilli paste and white wine vinegar. Finely chop all herbs and add to the mixture, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set aside.

To make the avocado cream, blitz the chopped avocado and soured cream together using a hand blender. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Store in the fridge until needed.

For the dried coriander leaves, wrap a microwavable plate tightly with clingfilm and rub over a little oil. Place the picked coriander leaves flat on top and microwave for 3 minutes on high, checking on them every 20 seconds to ensure they do not burn. Gently place each leaf onto a plate lined with kitchen paper and reserve until needed.

To make the ceviche, cut the Aquna Murray cod into cubes approx. 1 – 1.5cm. Sprinkle over 1/2 tsp salt and leave for 1 minute. Pour over the lime juice, orange juice and white soy. Gently toss to coat ensuring the fish remains submerged. Leave to marinate for 15 minutes. Stir in the reserved sofrito and adjust the seasoning with additional salt if needed.

For the tostones, peel the plantain and use a Japanese mandolin (blade set to 2mm) to slice the green plantain lengthways into 8-10 slices. Drizzle enough vegetable oil to cover the base of a large pan. Fry the plantains on both sides over high heat, approx. 2 minutes per side. Remove and set aside on a tray lined with kitchen paper. Season with salt and lay a large plate or tray on top to ensure they remain flat.

To serve, scatter the dried coriander leaves over the ceviche and serve on a platter alongside the avocado sour cream and crispy plantain strips.