Sunday, February 10, 2008

Fish Chermoula

8 x 200 g portions filleted kingklip, hake or linefish, skinned

Chermoula

125 ml finely chopped onion

2 ml ground cumin

2 ml chilli powder

125 ml chopped fresh coriander leaves

125 ml olive oil

30 ml boiling water

10 ml finely grated lemon rind

4 cloves garlic, crushed

2 ml paprika

2 ml ground saffron

125 ml chopped fresh parsley

125 ml couscous

30 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice salt and milled black pepper

Set the oven at 200°C. Butter a baking tray. Combine the chermoula ingredients in a bowl. Dip in the fish fillets to coat completely, place on the tray and bake for 10-12 minutes until the fish is done and the topping is lightly coloured. Serve with a fresh garden salad or steamed, buttered vegetables.

Diet Start

Serves 8

Crayfish Indienne

1 litre Court Bouillon

3 crayfish

3 medium, ripe, stringless mangoes small lemon leaves for garnish

Sauce Indienne

250 ml Mayonnaise

7 ml mild Madras curry powder

5 ml castor sugar

freshly squeezed lemon juice

Bring court bouillon to the boil in a large saucepan, add the crayfish and cook for 6-8 minutes, depending on size. Remove from the pot and place on a board. Strain the liquid into a shallow container.

Cut crayfish in half down the back and clean well. Place into the cool stock, cover and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.

Sauce Indienne: Mix together the ingredients until well blended.

To Serve: Cut off two 'cheeks' from each mango (don't peel), score the flesh and gently invert the skin to force the flesh up, displaying neat cubes.

Nap plates with sauce Indienne, place mango in the centre, and crayfish alongside. Garnish the mango with lemon leaves.

Serves 6

Provençal Baked Grunter

If grunter is not available, substitute another linefish.

1 whole grunter, gutted and cleaned; about 4 kg

salt and milled black pepper

125 ml stoned black olives

1 English cucumber, cut into julienne strips

fresh herbs for garnish

Provencal Sauce

80 ml olive oil

4 onions, sliced Chinese-style

1 red pepper, seeded and cut

into julienne strips

1 green pepper, seeded and cut

into julienne strips

1 yellow pepper, seeded and cut

into julienne strips

3 cloves garlic, crushed

5 ml chopped fresh oregano

15 ml chopped fresh dill

500 ml Italian Passata (available in tetrapacks at good supermarkets and delicatessens)

Provençal Sauce: Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and fry the onion and red, green and yellow pepper for about 3 minutes until lightly coloured. Add the garlic, oregano, dill and passata. Simmer uncovered for about 5 minutes until thickened.

Set the oven at 180°C. Oil a large sheet of heavy foil. Score the fish with three diagonal slashes on each side, cutting about 1 cm deep.

Place on the foil, season with salt and pepper, cover with Provençal sauce, sprinkle with olives and seal well to prevent moisture loss.

Place on a baking tray and bake for 30-40 minutes. Test for doneness; the fish is cooked when you can remove any of the dorsal fins with the inner bone attached.

To Serve: Unwrap the fish, place on a warm serving platter and garnish with cucumber and fresh herbs.

Serves 8

... andjoyohoxing