Passsion fruit is not something I regularly come across at a market stall, street vendor or supermarket. The purple variety is even less common. I discovered it some days back when I went hiking with friends. No, I did not pluck it from a tree. I hardly ever touch anything other than govayes de chine on a hike. Or maybe an occasional wild framboise.

It was in the parking lot on our way back when I stopped for a glass of fruit juice. Freshly pressed juice is the thing to have after a long walk down slippery muddy trails. While chatting with the lady at the stall I noted with amazement that she used lemon grass to spice up her mocktails. Something I might experiment with later.

I was more intrigued by the smooth purplish red fruit piled high in an old wire basket next to pineapples and oranges.  Sensing my curiosity, she explained that it was a variation of our local yellow grenadines. And she kindly let me have some to sample at home 🙂 

I was not quite sure what to do with my new ingredient. I did not want to process it too much for fear of diluting the flavour with cake ingredients. The fruit got new wrinkles with every passing day. When I felt they were ripe enough I finally converted them into a simple fruit cocktail.

I do not remember the exact source for this recipe. I wrote it down at a food fair at Ecole Hôtelière Sir Gaëtan Duval – ‘Saver Nou Ti Zil’ – in March 2009.

PASSION DES ILES

Ingredients:

80 ml passion fruit juice

80 ml mango juice

80 ml pineapple juice

80 ml Sprite

10 ml pomegranate/grenadine syrup

Method:

  • To extract passion fruit juice, cut 3 fruits in half.
  • Scoop out pulp and seeds. Place in a blender with 1/2 cup water. Blend for 30 seconds.
  • Take care not to crush the seeds else it will give the juice a bitter taste.

 

  • Strain to remove seeds and other residue.
  • Return residue to blender and blend with 1/3 cup water and 1tsp sugar for another 30 seconds.
  • Strain and use juice for passion des iles cocktail.

  • Half fill a cocktail shaker with ice cubes.
  • Shake all fruit juices, sprite and pomegranate/grenadine syrup well in the cocktail shaker.
  • Pour in a highball glass to serve. Makes 1 serving.

I used Ceres fruit juice for the mango and pineapple flavours. You can always extract them from the fruits if you are patient enough [unlike me] or have the convenience of a juicer [again unlike me!]

Pomegranate/grenadine syrup is available in all major supermarkets. I think it is worth investing in a bottle of the stuff if you plan to make cocktails on a regular basis. Not a bad idea on lazy summer days.

No pics of the finished product today [sorry!] The drinks were over before I could find my camera :S

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