Prawn Ceviche with Roselle Leaves

This take on the classic South American ceviche pairs marinated prawns with a citrusy, Asian-inspired twist. The addition of roselle leaves introduces a distinctive tangy note, elevating the dish with their vibrant sourness and fresh complexity.

Recipe contributed by Sean Koh (@seanjjk_)

Ingredients:

For the Asian-seasoning

• 1 tbsp Palm sugar syrup

• 3 cloves Garlic

• 2 no Shallots

• 2-3 no Chili padi (depending on size & spice preference)

• 3 tbsp Fish sauce

• 3 tbsp Coconut oil

For the marinade

• 300g prawn, deshelled (sashimi-grade or thawed IQF)

• 2 no. Lemon, juiced

• 5 no. Lime, juiced

For garnish

• ½ no red onion

• 80g Roselle leaves, washed & dried (around 3 cups, loosely packed)* note - for larger leaves, remove the hardy stem in the middle by cutting 2 slits along the length of the stem.

• Salt, black pepper to taste

• Lightly salted roasted peanuts, crushed (optional)

Method:

Step 1

Cut the prawns into chunks. Into a large bowl, squeeze the juices of your lemons and limes over your prawns and give a good mix, minding not to let seeds into the mix. Wrap and set aside in the chiller for at least 1.5 hours.

Step 2

In the meantime, prepare your seasoning - dissolve equal parts water & palm sugar to make a syrup (you can scale it up and do a larger batch to keep), mince your garlic and shallots and finely slice your chili padi. Combine all your ingredients in a bowl along with fish sauce and coconut oil.

Step 3

Check on your marinate - the prawns should be ‘cooked’ by the acid, and the flesh should feel firm and white. If not, leave to marinade a while longer or add more lemon.

Step 4

To finish, chiffonade your roselle leaves and thinly slice your red onions, and add them along with your seasoning to the prawn mix. Leave it to marinade for at least another 30 mins, up to an hour, to let the leaves soften and flavours infuse.

Step 5

Season with salt and black pepper to taste at the end and garnish with peanuts if desired