Winter 2025

Bring the Zing Recipes

Passionfruit are a joy to eat simply cut in half and scooped out with a spoon, but their sweet tangy flesh lends itself to both sweet applications like pastries, curds and ice cream, as well as savoury dishes that require a bit of acidity.

Native to South America, passionfruit are now grown commercially in most tropical and subtropical parts of the world, and can be purple, yellow, red or green skinned, with beautiful, fragrant flowers.

In these dishes they’re guaranteed to bring the zing!

Passionfruit Meringue Pie

Serves 8

Ingredients:

• 250gm plain flour
• 125gm butter
• 50ml iced water
• 4 eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 150ml cream
• 150gm castor sugar
• ¾ cup passionfruit pulp
• ¾ cup castor sugar
• ½ cup water
• ½ tsp white wine vinegar
• 3 egg whites
• ½ tsp cream of tartar

Method:

• In a food processor, blend the flour and butter until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
• With the motor running, pour in the water and blend until the mixture comes together.
• Wrap the dough and rest for half an hour before rolling.
• Lightly grease a 24cm tart tin and roll the pastry to fit.
• Blind bake the pastry case at 180oC until golden and just cooked.
• Whisk together the passionfruit, eggs, egg yolks, cream, and the 200gm of castor sugar until well combined.
• Pour into the tart shell and bake at 160oC for 30 minutes or until set. Refrigerate until completely cold.
• In a small saucepan, boil the sugar, water and vinegar until it reaches 116oC.
• While the sugar is coming up to temperature, place the egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment and whip to soft peaks.
• With the motor running, carefully pour in the hot sugar syrup, and whisk for 5 – 10 minutes.
• Spread or pipe the meringue onto the top of the tart to completely cover, and lightly caramelise the meringue using a blow torch.

Passionfruit Scallop Ceviche with Avocado Salsa, Crispy Shallots, Chilli and Mint

Makes 12

Ingredients:

• 12 half shell scallops
• 2 tbs passionfruit pulp
• 2 tbs lime juice
• 1 tsp sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp shallot, minced
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 2 tbs lemon juice
• 2 tbs crispy shallots
• 1 red chilli, julienned
• 24 mint leaves

Method:

• Remove scallops from their shells and slice in half or thirds horizontally. Wash and dry the shells.
• Mix the passionfruit, sugar, lime juice, salt and shallots together until the sugar and salt have dissolved.
• Gently mix the lemon juice and garlic through the avocado and season with salt and pepper.
• Toss the sliced scallops with the passionfruit mixture and allow to ‘pickle’ for 5 minutes.
• Place a spoonful of avocado in the centre of each of the shells and top with 2 slices of scallop.
• Garnish with chilli, mint and crispy shallots.

Jamaican Jerked Chicken and Grilled Pineapple with Passionfruit Dressing

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 whole chicken, butterflied
• 1 golden shallot, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 clove garlic, peeled
• 1 tbs fresh ginger, peeled
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground allspice
• ½ tsp white pepper
• 1 tsp fresh thyme or ½ tsp dried thyme
• 2 tbs soy sauce
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 tbs brown sugar
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 2 tsp salt flakes
• ½ ripe pineapple, sliced into 1cm slabs
• 2 tbs vegetable oil
• ¼ cup passionfruit pulp
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbs wholeseed mustard
• ½ cup fresh coriander leaves
• 2 mild green chillies, sliced into rounds
• 1 golden shallot, finely sliced

Method:

• In a small food processor, blend the shallot, garlic, ginger, spices, thyme, soy, lime juice, brown sugar, olive oil and salt flakes to a paste.
• Rub over the chicken, cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Whisk together the passionfruit pulp, lemon juice, olive oil and mustard and season with salt and pepper.
• Rub the pineapple with vegetable oil and grill on a hot grill pan or BBQ until caramelised.
• Pat the chicken dry with paper towel, drizzle with oil and grill on both sides until cooked through.
• Cut the chicken into pieces and arrange on a platter with the grilled pineapple.
• Pour over the passionfruit dressing and garnish with the coriander, green chilli and sliced shallot.
• Serve with steamed rice.