The Latest Culinary Creations From Chefs Pedro Miguel Schiaffino and David Thompson

With Executive Chef Pedro Miguel Schiaffino (owner of renown Peruvian restaurants Amaz and Malabar) and Consulting Chef David Thompson (acclaimed owner of Nahm, in Bangkok and Long Chim in Singapore), our guests are consistently presented with delicious, innovative and locally inspired cuisine and creative drink recipes.

Here we share two of our favorite recipes for you to taste test at home. Why not try Pedro’s grilled paiche ceviche from the Amazon and wash it down with a Long Tail Cocktail served on board the Aqua Mekong?

Grilled Paiche Ceviche

Cocona purée

2 – coconas, peeled and cut in 4
¼ cup – olive oil
2 tbsp – white sugar
Salt

Begin by making  the cocona purée. Cook the cocona in boiling water with the sugar and salt to taste, until translucent. Remove the cocona from the water, let them cool. Blend with olive oil to emulsify then force through a fine strainer.

Tiradito sauce

2 – charapita chilies, deveined
2 cups – red onion, chopped thick
2 – sacha culantro leaves
¼ pound – fish trimmings, skinned and cleaned
½ – celery stick, rough chopped
2 – garlic cloves
2 cups – lime juice
1 pinch – hondashi
1 tsp – fresh ginger
Salt
White pepper
5 – ice cubes

To make the Tiradito sauce, mix all the ingredients in a bowl and season with salt, pepper and hondashi to taste. Put the mixture in a blender, pulse 3 times and force through a fine strainer. Pour the cocona purée and tiradito sauce into a blender and emulsify, add salt to taste and let the mixture cool.

Ceviche Ingredients

1 pound – fresh paiche fillets, cut in ¾-inch cubes
½ pound – red onion, washed and cut in julienne strips
1¾ ounces – sweet chili cut in julienne strips
1½ ounces – sacha culantro cut in julienne strips
4 – charapita chilies, grounded
Lemon juice
Bijao leaves

Place the fish, onion, sweet chili, sacha culantro and charapita chillies into a bowl. Add salt and a few drops of lemon. Mix well with the cocona and tiradito purée. Place the ceviche on bijao leaves and wrap to make tamales. Make sure the tamales are well sealed to prevent juices from pouring out. Put the ceviche on the grill and cook for 5 minutes, just until the liquid starts to bubble. Do not overcook, otherwise the ceviche will become dry. Place tamale on a plate and open upon serving. 

The Long Tail Cocktail 

The Long Tail is the delicious signature cocktail served on the Aqua Mekong and is named after this classic boat, native to Southeast Asia.

In order to make the cocktail you will firstly need to make the Kaffir Lime Syrup. Combine all the ingredients below in a pot over heat. Stir until sugar is dissolved & simmer for 5 minutes. Sit for one day and strain out the pieces. 

Kaffir Lime Syrup Ingredients

500ml – water
500g – sugar
2 stalks – lemongrass
8 slices – fresh ginger
2 – Kaffir lime leaf

For the cocktail, mix all the ingredients below and shake thoroughly. Serve over ice in a Collins glass with a lime wheel, lemongrass slices & chopped kaffir lime.

Cocktail Ingredients

45ml – Death’s Door Gin
15ml – lime juice
15ml – Kaffir Lime Syrup
60ml – East Imperial Mombasa Ginger Beer