We invite you to get to know the Achacha, to try it and to send us your suggestions – including recipes! As the fruit is new to the market you have your chance to name your dish, and to be remembered forever!

Hint

Achachas can be frozen in their skins for a long period – put some away until the next year’s crop arrives! Take Achacha from freezer, run under cold tap, run knife around skin both ways. After removal of skin, remove the white fleshy part. It is easy to remove pulp from frozen fruit. This pulp can then be used for sorbet and ice-cream. For salads use only fresh fruit.

Achacha Thirst Quencher

Use 2 litres of strained skin infusion (see below).
Add sugar syrup (see below) to taste, or honey or Stevia for lower kilojules.
Keep chilled in fridge until ready to use.
Add a sprig of mint if desired.
This refreshing drink has been used for centuries in Bolivia as a thirst quencher.

Achacha & Pomegranate Crema with Pistachio Praline

2 gelatine leaves, soak in cold water
500ml cream
230g caster sugar
½ vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeded
250ml plain yoghurt
350g Achacha puree (approx 1.2  kilo of fruit required)
65ml water
50g pistachios, toasted
½ pomegranate, seeded

Method
Place the gelatine sheets in a small bowl and cover with water to soften. Set aside until required. Meanwhile, in a large heavy bottomed saucepan, bring the cream, 70g of the sugar, the vanilla bean and seeds to a simmer. When the cream is hot, remove from the heat. Squeeze out the gelatine, add to the cream and whisk until dissolved. Whisk in the yoghurt and Achacha puree then divide the mixture among 8 glasses or ramekins. Allow to stand at room temperature for 20 minutes then refrigerate for at least 4 hours to let the cream set properly. Place remaining sugar and water in a small saucepan and stir over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to the boil. Boil, without stirring until golden. Remove pan immediately from heat and allow bubbles to subside. Carefully pour the hot toffee evenly over pistachios on a greased baking tray. Set aside for 15 minutes to cook and set then break into large pieces and pound in a pestle and mortar until coarsely ‘chopped’. To serve, scatter the creams with pomegranate seeds and the pistachio praline.
Serves 8

Author chef:
Alastair McLeod, Executive Chef
Brett’s Wharf  Restaurant
449 Kingsford Smith Drive, Hamilton Qld 2007
Tel: 07 3623 43107
+
Tank Restaurant
Tank Street, Brisbane Qld 400
Tel: 07 3003 19933

Achacha Skin Infusion

This infusion forms a basis for many recipes which follow.
Place washed skins, after removing the white fleshy part of the fruit, into a container of water. Blend or simply soak the skins in the water. Use skins from 6 fruit per litre.
Leave in fridge, overnight, or for many days and use as required.
Strain and use infusion in the recipes below.

Note: Seeds remaining from pulping the Achacha can also be infused with skins.

Sugar syrup

1 cup Caster sugar
1 cup water
Method
Bring sugar and water to a simmer for 5 minutes, leave to cool.
Keep in a jar and use as desired.

Achacha Granita

4 cups Achacha skin infusion (see above)
½ cup Achacha pulp
½ teaspoon powdered ginger
½ cup sugar syrup

Method

Blend strained skin infusion, pulp and ginger powder and strain.
Add sugar syrup.
Place in shallow metal cake tin. After ¾ hour fork the frozen parts into the more liquid parts. Repeat this every 30 minutes until the Granita is grainy and aerated.
Serve within hours in glasses garnished sparingly with very finely chopped mint.
Seal remaining Granita in a covered plastic container for later use.

Achacha Sorbet

Achacha Sorbet

Ingredients:
120gms sugar
80 gms glucose
4 gms agar agar
300 mls water
220 gms Achacha pulp, blended.

Method:
Bring sugar, glucose and water to a gentle boil for 2 minutes. Add agar agar and the blended Achacha pulp. If available pour into a pacojet, otherwise pour into home icecream maker (already fully chilled) and when ready spoon into a plastic contain and freeze.

Achacha Granita

Achacha Granita and Achacha Jelly Dessert

Granita
120gms sugar
80 gms Glucose
300 gms water
220 mls Achacha infusion (see recipe for skin infusion)

Method:
Bring the sugar, clucose and water to a gentle boil. Add the Achacha infusion and set in the freezer, forking each half hour until a light granite is formed.

Authors: Yan Fontaine and Xavier Rodriguez,

Baroque Bistro January 2010

Achacha Jelly Desert

325 mls Achacha infusion
55gms sugar
4.5 gms pectin NH (available from specialist food shops)
2.5 gms yellow pectin (available from specialist food shops)
30 gms sugar
Method:
Bring the Achacha influsion and sugar to a gentle boil. Add the two pectins and the additional sugar and leave in the fridge to set.

Gluten free biscuit
3 egg whites
100 gms castor sugar
3 egg yolks
45 gms castor sugar
5 tbsp cocoa powder

Method:
Heat oven to 200 degrees.
Whisk the egg whites and 100 gms sugar until peaks form. Separately beat the egg yolks and 45 gms sugar. Combine the two mixtures. Place small spoonfuls of mixture on baking trays lined with baking paper and bake for 10 minutes at 200 degree centigrade.

Authors: Yan Fontaine and Xavier Rodriguez,

Baroque Bistro January 2010

Baroque Achacha Cocktail

This recipe is for one cocktail.

1 Achacha
Dash lemon juice
Dash sugar syrup
Dash white rum
Blend together till puree is very smooth

Pour into chilled flutes
Add sparkling wine of your choice
Gently stir with long spoon
Garnish with a twirl of Achacha skin

Enjoy!

Created by the friendly bar staff at
Baroque Bistro & Patisserie
88 George Street, The Rocks, Sydney
www.baroquebistro.com.au

Achacha and Raspberries with Rosewater Syrup

165g caster sugar
¾ cup water
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp rosewater (Mymoune)
24 Achacha (approx 1 kilo)
2 x 150g punnets raspberries
300g vanilla yoghurt
100g shelled pistachios, toasted and coarsely chopped

Method

Combine sugar and water in a saucepan and stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves, bring to the boil and simmer for five minutes. Cool to room temperature, stir in temon juice and rosewater. Score skin of achacha and scoop out flesh. Remove flesh from seed. Combine with raspberries and toss. Divide mixture among six glasses, drizzle with syrup, top with yoghurt and sprinkle pistachios.

Serves 6
Author Lynne Mullins, SMH Good Living, Jan 2009

Achacha frozen yoghurt

A domestic icecream machine is required for this recipe.
30g caster sugar
1 cup milk
1 cup Greek style yogurt
180g Achacha pulp (approx ¾ kilo)

Method

Blend all above ingredients and pour slowly into chilled bowl of ice-cream maker and rotate until thick.
Place into plastic container and freeze until required.
Leave out of fridge to soften before serving.

Achacha Pouring Sauce for Fruit or Crepes

1 cup natural yoghurt
Achacha pulp from 12 fruit
1 tbsp honey

Method

Blend the three ingredients and pour over mixed berries or use on crepes.

Author Chef: Teresa Mustafa de Ribera, Santa Cruz

Achacha Salad Vinagrette

2 hard boiled eggs
1 tbsp fresh parsley
2 tbsp Achacha pulp
½ tbsp Dijon mustard
3 tbsp wine vinegar
½ cup virgin olive oil (she uses corn oil)
Salt and pepper

Method

Mix chopped eggs, parsley, Achacha pulp, mustard and vinegar in a bowl and very slowly beat in the olive oil beating vigorously without stopping. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Author Chef: Teresa Mustafa de Ribera, Santa Cruz

Festive Achacha Salad

Baby salad greens
Slices of Achachas
Freshly steamed asparagus
Toasted pine nuts
Pomegranate seeds

Method

Wash salad leaves and dry well, scatter slices of Achacha, sprinkle pomegranate seeds.
Dress with equal parts light olive oil and white balsamic condiment.

Achacha Mint Pops

3 cups (700ml) water
Skins from 4 Achachas
6 fresh Achachas
¼ cup sugar syrup or to taste (recipe on this site)
1 handful fresh mint, stems removed

Method

Blend the skins in a blender or food processor with a little water for about 10 seconds. Add the remaining water and put in an airtight container. Allow to infuse overnight (or more) in the fridge.
Next day, remove the skins from the fresh Achacha and remove the flesh from the seeds.
Strain the Achacha infusion, add the pulp, fresh mint, sugar syrup and puree for a couple of seconds or until well blended.
Pour into 6 popsicle moulds and freeze for 5 hours.

Enjoy!

You can start the Achacha infusion cycle all over again with the skins and seeds from this.

 Thanks to Beth for contributing this recipe and photograph.

Achatini

Method

Peel and remove seed of the Achacha. Muddle the skins and flesh with the sugar syrup. Add vodka and rosewater and shake violently with ice. Double strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with a piece of Achacha peel and a cherry.

Courtesy of the creative bar staff at:
Restaurant Two
2 Edward Street
Brisbane Qld
07 3210 0600