Nutmeg. Pumpkin. Ravioli. Butternut squash. Cinnamon.

Sweet potato.

'Tis the season for cockle-warming and familiar flavors of fall. Since we Floridians don't want to be any warmer than we have to be, Chef Norman Van Aken has adapted a summertime dish for the season.

Van Aken's chef de cuisine at 1921 by Norman Van Aken is Chef Camilo Velasco. Velasco demoed Flounder Ceviche w/ Passion Fruit — Sesame 'Leche de Tigre' and Torched Sweet Potato at the new Mount Dora restaurant.

"It has a firm texture," Velasco said as he handled his freshly-speared flounder. "It doesn't really break down too much in contact with the acid. So it's just a perfect fish."

The acid he's referring to is in the passion fruit marinade.

"There's enough acid in the passion fruit to basically cure and cook the fish," he explained.

Essential to any ceviche recipe is cilantro, red onions and a little heat from a poblano pepper. Chef creates an awesome balance by infusing delicately-placed, torched sweet potato cubes.

Welcome, fall!

FLOUNDER CEVICHE WITH PASSION FRUIT —  SESAME ‘LECHE DE TIGRE’ AND TORCHED SWEET POTATO
© 2016 All Rights Reserved by Norman & Janet Van Aken

Recipe from "Norman Van Aken's Florida Kitchen" which will be available Fall 2017 from the University Press of Florida

Serves 4

For the Ceviche:

⦿1/4 Cup lime juice, freshly squeezed
⦿ 1 1/4 Cup Fresh passion fruit juice
⦿ 1 Tablespoon sesame oil
⦿ 1 clove garlic
⦿ 1 Tablespoon minced ginger
⦿ 1/2 habanero pepper, stemmed, seeded and minced
⦿ 2 Tablespoon red onion, roughly chopped
⦿ 3/4 Cup ice
⦿ 1/2 pound Flounder fillet, scaled, skinned, and thinly sliced
kosher salt, to taste

Put the lime juice, passion fruit juice, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, habanero, red onion and ice in a blender.

Blend until everything is well mixed.

Set aside chilled while you prepare the garnishes.

For the Ceviche Garnishes:

⦿ 1 sweet potato, peeled, cubed and boiled until just tender. Carefully caramelize with a kitchen torch.
⦿ 1/4 Cup red onion, peeled and minced
⦿ 1/2 minced poblano pepper
⦿ 1/4 Cup fennel, minced
⦿ 2 Tablespoons cilantro, thinly sliced

Place the flounder in a bowl, add the leche de tigre, red onion, poblano, fennel, and cilantro. Season with kosher salt.

Serve in desired plate, and garnish with the caramelized sweet potato.