Red lentil and coconut dhal with fish.Rob PalmerSome people are nervous about cooking fish. Talk about under- or overcooking it can make cooking seafood sound like an exact science,which is so far from the truth.
My advice is not to shy away from cooking fresh fish;it all starts with great ingredients and,ideally,try to use sustainable,locally sourced seafood.
Red lentil and coconut dhal with fish
Dhal has to be one of my all-time favourite dishes. I love to top it with roast vegies or seafood to make it even heartier. Feel free to cook the dhal and fish separately and serve them as part of a larger spread. For a plant-based version,serve it with some roasted cauliflower or eggplant instead of fish.
This cauliflower salad can be made up to 2 hours ahead of time.Rob PalmerCaramelised cauliflower salad with dates,almonds and buckwheat
Roast cauliflower is probably my favourite salad staple. Swap the buckwheat for any other grain,brown rice or lentils,and switch dates with sultanas,cranberries,diced apple or pomegranate,if you like. This salad can be made up to 2 hours ahead of time and refrigerated without the dressing.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 small cauliflower,cut into florets
- 1 brown onion,cut into thick wedges
- 1 tsp ground cumin seeds
- 1 tsp ground coriander seeds
- 80ml (⅓ cup) olive oil
- sea salt flakes and ground black pepper
- 195g (1 cup) buckwheat,soaked overnight and drained
- 8 fresh dates,roughly torn
- 40g (¼ cup) toasted almonds,roughly chopped
- 3 celery sticks,thinly sliced
- handful flat-leaf parsley leaves
- handful mint leaves
- handful dill sprigs
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
This is a light,tasty riff on the classic fish and chips. If you don't want to pan-fry the fish,feel free to bake it – just choose a fish without skin,lightly oil and season it,then bake in the oven for around 7 minutes. You could also leave out the fish and serve the fries as a stellar snack or side.
INGREDIENTS
- 4 x 150g firm-fleshed fish fillets,such as barramundi,blue-eye trevalla,Spanish mackerel,ling or NZ king salmon
- 6 carrots,peeled and cut into quarters
- 4 large parsnips,peeled,cut into quarters and cores removed
- 80ml (⅓ cup) olive oil
- sea salt flakes and ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon zaatar
- handful flat-leaf parsley leaves,finely chopped
- ½ lemon,cut into wedges,to serve
Garlicky butter bean dip
- 400g can butter beans,rinsed and drained
- 1 garlic clove
- 2 tbsp olive oil,plus extra to drizzle
- 65g (¼ cup) hulled tahini
- juice of ½ lemon
Brussels sprouts work so well in this dish,but feel free to mix it up with other seasonal vegies like cauliflower,broccoli,pumpkin,eggplant or zucchini,cut into similar-sized pieces. Serve this with steamed rice or grains,or throw some diced sweet potato onto the tray before roasting.
INGREDIENTS
- 650g blue-eye trevalla or ling fillet,skin on
- 500g Brussels sprouts,cut in half
- 1 brown onion,cut into thin wedges
- 1 bunch broccolini
- sea salt flakes
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 250ml (1 cup) gochujang dressing (seerecipe below)
- 4 radishes,thinly sliced
- 3 spring onions,thinly sliced
- 75g (½ cup) edamame beans
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 100g (½ cup) kimchi,to serve (optional)
- steamed rice,to serve
METHOD
- Preheat the oven to 210C fan-forced (230C conventional).
- Place the fish in a shallow bowl. Place the Brussels sprouts and onion in a second bowl and the broccolini in a third bowl. Season them all with a little salt,drizzle with the olive oil and divide the gochujang dressing between the three bowls,reserving 60ml (¼ cup) of the dressing for serving. Gently toss all the ingredients together in their separate bowls to coat them.
- Scatter the Brussels sprouts,onion and any remaining marinade onto a large baking tray lined with baking paper and roast for 7 minutes. Remove from the oven and add the fish,skin-side down,the broccolini and all the marinade from the bowls. Roast for 8 minutes,until the fish is just cooked and the vegies are a little charred and gnarly.
- Meanwhile,combine the radish,spring onion and edamame with the rice vinegar,sesame oil and a little salt. Scatter this over the fish and vegies and serve with the kimchi,the reserved gochujang dressing and the steamed rice.
Gochujang dressing
Gochujang is on high rotation in our kitchen. The fermented chilli paste is a pantry staple,and a key to creating deliciousness with whatever I have on hand. This dressing has the most amazing spicy,umami-rich flavour,making it the perfect marinade or glaze. Add this to soups,toss it through noodles or use it to marinate and dress prawns or squid. It's a delicious dipping sauce for sashimi,too. If you can't find gochujang,you can substitute with equal quantities of white miso and Sriracha combined together. For a milder version,you could just use miso on its own.
INGREDIENTS
- 60ml (¼ cup) gochujang (seeNote)
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp honey or maple syrup
- 2 tbsp toasted white sesame seeds
- 3cm piece ginger,finely grated (optional)
METHOD
- Combine the gochujang,soy sauce,sesame oil,vinegar,honey or maple syrup and sesame seeds in a bowl and stir to make a smooth sauce. Add the ginger (if using) and mix through. Transfer to an airtight container or jar and store in the fridge for up to 2 months.
Makes 250ml (1 cup)
NoteGochujang is a fermented rice-based chilli paste that is popular in Korean cooking. Find it in the Asian aisle of some supermarkets and at most Asian grocers.
Pro tip If you keep your gochujang in the fridge,bring it to room temperature before mixing it with other ingredients,otherwise it will be too hard.
This is an edited extract fromMore Fish,More Veg by Tom Walton,photography by Rob Palmer. Murdoch Books,RRP $39.99.Buy now