Chef Pushkar Marathe is Indian, but Stage, his Midtown Boca concept, is not. Its roots may honor his Indian heritage, but the branches of Stage’s food philosophy are shaped by Marathe’s globetrotting. Stage (pronounced staaj, as in a culinary internship, not a performing platform) spotlights culinary delights from around the world, including Korean barbecue ribs, duck confit rolls, green chickpea hummus, patatas bravas and Marathe’s take on butter chicken masala and coconut curry.
Marathe prides himself on showcasing as many local products as possible. When he visited Naga Gardens in Loxahatchee and saw endless rows of lychee trees, a lightbulb went off. During a memorable dinner with legendary Peruvian chef Gastón Acurio, he had insisted there were no rules for making ceviche and that the dish didn’t even have to contain fish. So Marathe threw himself into creating the lychee ceviche recipe that now adorns both his Palm Beach Gardens and Boca Raton menus during summer.
While the lychee fruit is indispensable, his take on the leche de tigre marinade, which is vegan and gluten-free, is truly the star. The sweet and spicy sauce with a tropical flair is made by pressing fresh coconut, using cilantro stems (instead of the leaves, which may be too overpowering), Thai chili to counterbalance the sweetness, thinly sliced red onions first bathed in ice water to lessen their pungency, lime juice and sea salt from local purveyor Palm Beach Salt Co.
Last year, he harvested 2,000 pounds of lychee over the summer to supply his two restaurants and had two cooks peeling them every three days for the ceviche. Marathe is excited to share with his guests the idea that ceviche doesn’t have to be fish, as they experience the creativity he and his staff offer.
“As chefs, it’s our responsibility to open people’s minds about new flavors and trying new things,” he says.
Lychee Ceviche
Serves 4–6 people
Leche de tigre:
- 2 cups peeled and seeded lychees
- 1/2 cup lychee juice
- 3 Kaffir lime leaves
- 1 cup lime juice
- 2 tablespoons peeled, ground or chopped ginger
- 1/2 lemongrass stalk, chopped
- 1 Thai chili, chopped
- 1 tablespoon granulated white sugar
- 1/2 cup cilantro stems
- 1/2 cup shocked* sliced red onions *(soaked in ice bath for 15 minutes)
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
1. Put all ingredients in a blender and blend for approximately 5 minutes.
2. Strain through a fine-mesh chinois or a China cap strainer. Set aside.
The Ceviche:
- 4 cups peeled and seeded lychees
- 2 limes juiced
- 1 cucumber, sliced thin
- 1 red onion, sliced thin and shocked in ice bath
- 1 Thai chili, chopped
- 1/2 cup cilantro stems, chopped
- 1/2 cup chives, chopped
- 1/2 cup coarse, flaky sea salt
Preparation:
1. Place lychees in a chilled bowl, and add salt to your liking. Mix well.
2. Add fresh lime juice. Mix well.
3. Add cucumber, onion, cilantro stems and chili. Mix well.
4. Distribute ceviche mixture to 4 or 6 serving bowls.
5. Add lychee leche de tigre sauce to each bowl. Garnish with chives.
Chef’s tips:
• Peeling is not scary: Don’t be intimidated by it. With the skin still on, use a very sharp knife and cut down the middle, through the seed.
• Keep it cool: No one wants to eat room-temperature ceviche. To keep it cold while you assemble it, fill a bowl with ice and a little water to make an ice bath, then place another bowl on top. Mix ingredients in that chilled bowl.
• Patience pays off: Wait until lychees are in season locally to make the dish. Buying them out of season ensures they’re imported and not at peak freshness.
• Drink pairing: Sip on a Sancerre, a dry Riesling or Stage’s Young, Fresh and Green cocktail.
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