Johannesburg - Many of our readers traditionally eat only fish on Good Friday. Angela Day has five suitable fish recipes.
ASIAN SALMON
Serves 4
Marinade
30ml soy sauce
60ml sweet chilli sauce
10ml sesame oil
30ml honey
30ml lime juice
5ml grated ginger
5ml chopped garlic
4 salmon fillets
30ml olive oil
1 red pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1 yellow pepper, thinly sliced
1 bunch of spring onion, sliced diagonally
5ml chopped garlic
10ml grated ginger
15ml sesame seeds, lightly toasted
Combine all the ingredients for the marinade and pour over the salmon. Set aside for 15 minutes.
Heat 15ml of the oil in a pan and fry the peppers, spring onion, garlic and ginger until soft. Set aside and keep warm.
Heat the remaining oil in a pan. Take the fish out of the marinade and fry until cooked to the desired doneness. Remove and keep warm.
Add the marinade to the pan and bring to the boil. Simmer until slightly thickened.
Serve the salmon on the peppers. Pour over the sauce and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
PICKLED FISH
Serves 8
125ml flour
salt and white pepper
1.5kg firm white fish fillets, sliced into serving portions
oil for frying
Sauce
30ml olive oil
1kg onions, sliced into thick rings
30ml curry powder
10ml ground coriander
375ml water
180ml brown sugar
1cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
3 bay or lemon leaves
6 black peppercorns
salt and freshly ground black pepper
500ml good-quality vinegar
30ml apricot jam
15ml cornflour with 30ml water
Season flour with salt and pepper. Dip fish fillets into seasoned flour, coating both sides.
Preheat the oil and fry the fish on both sides until golden brown and cooked. Place on absorbent paper to cool.
SAUCE: Heat the oil and gently fry the onions until softened.
Add the curry powder and coriander and cook for a minute.
Stir in the water and the remaining ingredients, except the cornflour. Simmer for 10-15 minutes.
Mix cornflour with water and add to the mixture. Simmer, uncovered, for a further 5 minutes.
Arrange the fish in a large dish. Pour over the sauce. Allow to cool, then refrigerate.
Best left in the fridge for 2-3 days before serving.
MACADAMIA-CRUSTED HAKE WITH MANGO SAUCE
Serves 4
125ml macadamia nuts
2 slices of brown bread
125ml parsley
15ml lemon zest
30ml olive oil
1 garlic clove, sliced
a pinch of chilli flakes
salt and pepper
500g hake fillets
Sauce
1 mango, peeled, seeded and diced
125ml sour cream
5ml lemon juice
a pinch of chilli flakes
In a food processor, combine macadamia nuts, bread, parsley, lemon zest, oil, garlic and chilli flakes. Process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
Season the fish and place on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Cover the hake with the macadamia crust. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.
Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 15-20 minutes, until cooked.
Remove and serve with mango cream sauce.
SAUCE: In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine mango, sour cream and lemon juice. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until thickened.
Add the chilli flakes and season to taste. Blend with a stick blender until smooth.
SOLE PICCATA
Serves 4
80ml flour, for dredging
5ml salt
5ml pepper
4 sole fillets, about 1kg
30ml olive oil
Sauce
15ml olive oil
30ml butter
60ml capers
125ml white wine
80ml cream
10ml lemon juice
60ml finely chopped parsley
Combine the flour, salt and pepper in a flat dish. Coat the fillets in the flour so that both sides are lightly coated.
Heat the olive oil over medium high heat in a large non-stick frying pan. When hot, brown the fillets, in batches, until golden, about two minutes per side. Add more oil to the pan if needed.
Once golden on both sides, remove fish and set aside on a serving platter and keep warm. Meanwhile, make the sauce.
SAUCE: Heat the oil and butter in a clean pan and fry the capers for a few minutes. Add the wine and boil for 2-3 minutes.
Add the cream, lemon juice and half the parsley and simmer until thickened, about five minutes.
Add the rest of the parsley, pour the sauce over the fish and serve immediately with mashed potato.
FISH TAGINE
Serves 6-8
CHERMOULA
30ml olive oil
4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
20ml ground cumin
10ml paprika
a bunch of coriander, chopped
5ml salt
juice and zest of 1 lemon
4 skinless linefish fillets, cut into portions
TAGINE
30ml olive oil
2 onions, halved and thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
10ml ground cumin
10ml paprika
2x400g tins of chopped tomatoes
375ml fish stock
10ml lemon zest
100g pimento-stuffed olives
1 red pepper, deseeded and sliced
2 sweet potato, peeled and cubed
COUSCOUS
250ml couscous
250ml boiling water
a pinch of salt
80ml dried apricots, diced
15ml preserved lemon, flesh removed and rind diced
60ml finely chopped coriander
CHERMOULA: Combine the ingredients, except the fish, in the bowl of a food processor. Blend until smooth.
Pour over the fish fillets and turn them to coat both sides. Cover and refrigerate for about an hour.
TAGINE: Heat the oil in a large non-stick pot and fry the onions and garlic until softened and starting to colour, about 4-5 minutes. Add the cumin and paprika and cook for a further two minutes.
Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes until potatoes are tender.
Arrange the fish fillets on top, pour in any leftover chermoula and simmer, covered, for 5-10 minutes, until the fish is cooked through. Season with salt if necessary. Serve on a bed of couscous.
COUSCOUS: Put couscous in a glass bowl. Add the boiling water and salt, cover with cling wrap and allow to stand for 10 minutes. Fluff up with a fork and stir in the rest of the ingredients.
The Star