Angela Day
Eating more healthy fish is easy with these tasty recipes. On the menu:
Haddock parcels
Chermoula fish kebabs
Fish and vegetable chowder
Fish kibbeh
Asian-style fish and chips
FISH KIBBEH
Serves 6
125ml chopped, fresh coriander
60ml chopped, fresh mint
1 small onion
500g hake fillets, cubed
5ml salt
5ml ground cumin
2ml freshly ground pepper
2ml ground allspice
250ml burghul wheat, soaked in cold water
60ml olive oil, for drizzling
TOPPING
60ml pine nuts
60ml olive oil
2 onions, finely sliced
olive oil for drizzling
Preheat oven to 200°C.
In a food processor, mince the coriander, mint and onion.
Add the fish, salt and spices and continue processing until mixture is very fine.
Drain the burghul well. Add the fish mince mixture to the burghul and mix well.
Return to the processor and mince again for a minute.
Topping: Cook the pine nuts in olive oil until golden brown, then remove from the pan.
Add the onions to the pan and lightly sauté until transparent. Drain on paper towel and mix with the pine nuts.
Place the onion and pine nut mixture on the base of a 25cm ovenproof baking dish.
Cover it with the fish mince, smoothing the surface with a wet spoon.
Cut the kibbeh into diamond shapes and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 30 minutes, until golden.
To serve, invert on a large platter or remove the fish and serve with onions and pine nuts.
Delicious served hot or cold.
FISH AND VEGETABLE CHOWDER
Serves 8-10
30g butter
125g bacon, sliced
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled, chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
5ml salt
2ml pepper
45ml flour
750ml milk
500ml fish stock
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 tin of corn kernels, drained
500g hake fillets, cubed
125ml chopped fresh parsley
Heat the butter in a large saucepan and fry the bacon, onion, carrots, celery, salt and pepper for 5 minutes.
Sprinkle the flour over and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
Whisk in the milk and stock and bring to a boil.
Add the potatoes, reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Stir in the corn and fish and simmer for a further 5 minutes, until it is heated through and the fish is cooked.
Add the parsley and stir to combine. Serve.
CHERMOULA FISH KEBABS
Serves 4
1 red onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
80ml fresh parsley
250ml fresh coriander leaves
5ml ground coriander
5ml salt
5ml ground paprika
2ml chilli flakes
2ml turmeric
juice and grated rind of 1 lemon
80ml olive oil
500g kingklip or firm white fish, cut in cubes
wooden skewers, soaked in cold water
Place the onion, garlic, parsley, fresh and ground coriander, salt, spices, lemon juice and rind and the olive oil in a food processor and blend to form a coarse paste.
Put the fish in a plastic bag. Pour the marinade over the fish and stir well to coat.
Cover and marinate in the fridge for 1 hour.
Remove fish from the marinade and place on soaked skewers.
Preheat oven to 250°C. Place the kebabs on an oven tray lined with tinfoil.
Bake for 15 minutes until fish is cooked.
ASIAN-STYLE FISH AND CHIPS
Serves 4
2x300g lightly smoked trout fillets, cut in portions
80ml soy sauce
10ml sesame oil
125ml rice flour
a pinch of chilli flakes
3 eggs, lightly beaten
500ml Panko breadcrumbs
125ml sesame seeds, toasted
125ml chopped fresh coriander
olive oil, for frying
4 potatoes, sliced into chips and deep-fried
lime wedges, for serving
Place the trout portions in a flat dish with the soy and sesame oil.
Turn to coat the fish well.
Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Mix the rice flour and chilli flakes and place in a bowl.
Place the beaten eggs in another bowl.
Combine the breadcrumbs, sesame seeds and coriander and place in a third bowl.
Remove the fish from the marinade, coat each portion in the flour, dip in the egg and coat with the breadcrumbs.
Place on a baking tray and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Heat some oil in a frying pan and fry the fish, in batches, on both sides until golden, about 2 minutes a side.
Drain on paper towel.
Serve with chips and lime wedges.
Note: Panko breadcrumbs are available from Asian food shops as well as Woolworths.
HADDOCK PARCELS
Makes 8
500g haddock
375ml milk
50g butter
1 onion, chopped
5ml chopped garlic
60ml flour
250ml milk
250ml frozen peas
salt and pepper
250ml grated cheddar cheese
500g roll of puff pastry
egg glaze
Put the haddock in a pot and pour over the milk.
Poach on a medium heat for 5-10 minutes until cooked.
Remove with a draining spoon and flake the fish.
Melt the butter in a pot and gently fry the onions until soft.
Add the garlic and cook for a minute.
Add the flour and cook for a minute.
Add the milk while stirring constantly until the mixture boils and thickens.
Remove from the heat and add the haddock, peas, seasoning and grated cheese. Set aside to cool.
Unroll the pastry and roll it out a little thinner. You should try to get eight 12cm squares from the roll.
Place a generous spoonful of filling in the middle of each square.
Brush the edges with egg glaze and bring the four corners up to meet in the middle, pinching the edges to seal.
Place on a baking tray and brush the outside with egg glaze.
Bake at 200°C for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.
Any excess filling can be served with rice or mashed potato or frozen to use at a later stage.
* The Angela Day cookery column is published in The Star, the Cape Argus, the Daily News and the Pretoria News.