Passion Fruit Ceviche

Maracuya is passion fruit and belongs to the same family as the ancient fruit Tumbo found in the Amazon, which was originally used by pre-Inca indigenous people to marinate seafood and create ceviche. Ceviche is the combination of seafood with acidic liquids, such as lime juice, which creates a chemical reaction that serves as a replacement to cooking the fish making it safe and delicious to consume. Peruvians created the real ceviche and nowadays you can find several fusions and flavorful creations of the native dish. Below is one of them using the citrus flavor of maracuya.

MARACUYA CEVICHE: Serves 2

• 1 pound of fresh corvina or sea bass (skinless, chopped in small inch cubes)

• 4 maracuyas (passion fruit)

• 1/2 red onion (thinly sliced)

• 2 tbsp of quinoa

• 1 sweet potato (boiled, peeled and sliced in four pieces)

• 1 garlic clove (minced)

• 1 aji amarillo (peeled, deveined and minced)

• 1/2 cup of freshly squeezed lime juice

• Peruvian choclo (boiled)

• Salt to taste, thinly sliced habanero (or chilli pepper) and dash of cilantro for garnish

  Cut the passion fruit in halves and separate the interior seed and pulp mix into a blender all together with 4 oz of water. Pulse lightly for about 30 seconds to separate the seeds and pulp, then strain the liquid into a separate glass. Rinse the quinoa in a small cup with water, then strain out the liquid and toast the grains in a small frying pan over medium heat until crispy (you’ll smell a nutty aroma and that’s when it’s ready, about a few minutes). Grind the minced garlic and aji amarillo together to create a base in a bowl, then add the fish, lime juice and about half of the passion fruit liquid with some salt. Let the fish soak for 15 minutes, then add the sweet potato, crispy quinoa, choclo, habanero and cilantro. The remaining ceviche liquid (leche de tigre) is best served with a splash of Peruvian pisco.