fish curry with tamarind

This curry is fast but flavourful.

75 ml vegetable oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
thumb of ginger, minced
handful of curry leaves
2 tb garam masala
1 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp chilli flakes
1 tsp salt
600g monkfish, cut into 4-5 cm chunks
1/2 c tamarind pulp
200ml coconut cream
bunch of fresh coriander, chopped

Heat the oil in a large pan and cook onions until soft. Add the spices and aromatics and saute well until fragant. Add monkfish and cook for a minute. Add coconut cream and tamarind, stir well and simmer until the fish is cooked. Adjust seasoning and sprinkle the coriander over.

Can be bulked out with parboiled chunks of potato. Serves 4 with rice and roti.

From: Food worth making

fish in beer batter

sunflower oil, for deep-frying
3-4 fish filets (e.g cod, snapper or hapuka) washed and patted dry
note: cut thick fillets horizontally lengthways into thinner pieces
1/4 cup rice flour
¾ cup plain flour
¼ cup rice flour
1 ¼ tsp baking powder
Good pinch salt
1 cup ice-cold IPA beer

Dredge fish fillets in first measure of rice flour and season with salt.

Whisk remaining dry ingredients together in a bowl and pour over the beer. Mix quickly until just combined with the consistency of double cream – don’t over-mix(a few lumps are fine). Use immediately as you want it cold and the baking powder will be used up if you wait.

Heat the oil to 180′ C in a large wide pan, approximately two-thirds full. The oil is hot enough when a drizzle of batter crisps in less than a minute. Working quickly, coat fillets with batter and fry for about 4 minutes, turning once, until deep golden and crisp. Take out and drain on paper towels.

Source: RNZ

Ollie’s batter

My brother-in-law has perfected his own version of Japanese tempura batter for deep frying fresh fish caught off his boat.

John Dory with tomatoes

Classic Italian flavours and a beautifully simple preparation.

Ceviche

I had my first taste of Ceviche while filming near the Chilean border with Peru, in a plastic shack on the beach, very memorable. Ceviche is a traditional Peruvian dish that has become popular around the globe. It is also very easy and quick to make, requires no cooking and is the perfect summer dish. The basic components are raw fish cured in citrus juice, chilli, alliums and aromatic herbs. There are infinite variations, below are some tried and tested examples, including a vegetarian version.

Thai fish cakes (serves 4)

Not subtle, these pack in all the big flavours of Thai food over a neutral fish foundation. Addictive.

fish with panko crust

Fried fish, Japanese style. Take white fish fillets, salt them lightly beforehand, dredge in flour, dip in beaten egg and then coat in Japanese ‘panko’ bread crumbs. Shallow fry immediately in oil over moderate heat until golden, drain on kitchen towels.

The panko crust should be light and crunchy with a texture approaching tempura.

beetroot gazpacho

A dish for a late summer day with an autumnal note provided by the beetroot, creating a beautifully red gazpacho. Fast and easy.

2 beetroots (about 500 grs)
8 tomatoes
1/2 onion
1/2 salad cucumber
1/2 red bell pepper
1 garlic
50ml red wine or sherry vinegar
100 ml olive oil
dash of Tabasco (optional)
salt, pepper

horseradish, freshly grated
Crème fraîche
Smoked trout or caviar

Boil the beets, unpeeled, in salted water until soft but firm, about 20-30 Minutes, depending on size. In the meantime, de-seed the tomatoes, peel the cucumber. Peel the boiled beet, roughly chop all vegetables and blend in a food processor. Reserve some beet cubes for the garnish. Add vinegar, olive oil, Tabasco, olive oil & pepper. Add some boiling water from the beets if the texture is too thick. Garnish with Crème fraîche, beet cubes, trout, fleur de sel and lots of freshly grated horseradish.

Serve slightly warm or cold.

The horseradish can be mixed with an equal amount of a grated sour apple.

Adapted from: Die ZEIT Magazin

Saké-Simmered Mackerel

This is one of the most delicious ways I have encountered to cook mackerel, which some people avoid because of its strong taste. However it is one of the cheapest fish you can buy, is healthy and one of the few species of fish that Greenpeace still recommends (together with herring and carp). Filleting mackerel can be a bit of work but if you get it filleted in the shop then it is a very simple & fast recipe.

500 g of mackerel filets
180 ml sake
120 ml mirin
80 ml dark soy sauce
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh ginger
pinch sugar

spring onion
nanami togarashi

In a heavy sauce pan, heat saké until just simmering. Lay in mackerel filets, skin side up. Bring saké back to a quick boil, add mirin, bring back to boil. Sprinkle with ginger, add soy sauce, bring back to boil. (Waiting for the liquid to boil each time when adding fluids is supposed to rid the mackerel of odor.) Finally add the sugar. Cover with a wooden drop-lid or a circle of baking paper with a venting hole cut in the middle. Cook on high heat for 10 minutes or until fish is tender.

Serve with Japanese sticky rice and miso soup.

Source: Japanese Cooking, a simple art by Shizuo Tsuji

danish fish cakes

A classic of the Danish family table, freshened up a bit.

300 g minced salmon
300 g fine minced white fish
1 cooked potato (preferably baked) peeled and mashed
1 carrot, grated and squeezed dry
2 eggs, beaten
100 ml milk
2 tb flour

Combine fish meats well and season. Add egg, flour and milk gradually while mixing to a smooth consistency. Mix in carrot and potato. Season again and chill in the fridge for 30 mins to stiffen it up.

Fry dollops of the mix in half oil / half butter over medium heat. Turn and flatten a little. Both sides should be mottled brown and the fishcake cooked well through.

Serve with lemon wedges and/or remoulade, a sticky adulterated mayonnaise that you need to be Danish to enjoy.

This naturally begs comparison with asian fishcakes, but is rather more processed and possibly the easiest way of getting oily fish into children I know. Could easily by jazzed up with chilli, lemongrass or other fresh herbs.