FIT FOR A KING
TOM WALTON is renowned for his lowfuss, max-flavour, family-friendly food. More Fish, More Veg isa collection of his go-to recipes that helps you put meals featuring sustainable seafood and seasonal veg on high rotation at your place.
Some people are a little nervous about cooking fish, but with a few super simple techniques in your toolkit you'll be confident to give it a go. Tom walks you through these key cooking methods step-by-step, plus he provides pointers on sustainability and seasonality that will take the guesswork out of what fish to buy.
He'll also show you how to make veg the star of the show with his vibrant veg-driven dishes that are full of life, colour and deliciousness.
Season by season, this book is bursting with easy-to-make recipes that celebrate the abundance of top-quality ingredients and make it a breeze for you to eat more fish, more veg.
KING SALMON BIRYANI
I love everything about this dish. You're packing so much flavour into one pot, layering up the rice, onion, herbs and spices, which all help to gently cook the fish. I love butter chicken spice mix (not entirely traditional, but so delicious), but you can use any spice mix you like. It might seem like there are a few steps involved, but it really comes together easily.
This dish, which happens to be leftovers-approved (LOA), also offers the opportunity to try different fish types – just stick to firmer white-fleshed fish, ocean trout or Spanish mackerel.
Ingredients
1 cup (260g) natural Greekstyle yoghurt
1 Tbsp butter chicken spice mix (or any spice mix), plus 2 teaspoons extra
1⁄4 cup (60ml) olive oil Finely grated zest of 1 lime
1 x 800g or 2 x 400g NZ king salmon fillets
Sea salt flakes and ground black pepper
3 brown onions, thinly sliced 2 cups (400g) basmati rice, rinsed
4 cardamom pods
6 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
2 fresh or dried bay leaves Handful coriander leaves, roughly chopped Handful mint leaves, roughly chopped
Large pinch of saffron threads soaked in 1/2 cup (125ml) water Tomato, red onion and coriander salad, to serve Lime halves, to serve Avocado tzatziki (see below), to serve (optional)
Method
Combine the yoghurt with the spice mix, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and the lime zest. Place the salmon in a large dish or tray, season with salt and pepper, then spoon the yoghurt marinade over the fish and gently rub it in all over. Refrigerate for 2–3 hours or overnight to marinate, then bring it out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking to bring it to room temperature.
Place the onion in a saucepan with the remaining olive oil and a good pinch of salt. Stir, cover with a lid and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, until the onion begins to caramelise. Remove the lid and cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring until deeply caramelised. Set aside.
Bring a saucepan of water to the boil with 2 teaspoons salt. Add the rice, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and bay leaves and bring to the boil. Cook for 4 minutes, then drain the rice and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 220C. Place the marinated salmon, skin-side down, and any remaining marinade in a large, deep ovenproof dish or pot. Combine the rice with the onion, herbs (reserving a quarter for garnish) and extra spice mix and spoon this over the salmon. Drizzle the saffroninfused water evenly over the rice. Place a piece of baking paper over the rice to cover it, then cover with a lid or a layer of foil.
Bake the rice in the oven for 25–30 minutes, then allow it to rest for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and scatter on the remaining herbs.
Serve the biryani with the tomato, red onion and coriander salad, lime halves and the avocado tzatziki, if desired. — Serves 4
Avocado tzatziki
Scoop the flesh from 2 avocados into a bowl. Mash with a fork and stir through 1 cup (260 g) natural Greek-style yoghurt, 1 grated Lebanese cucumber that has been squeezed dry, 1 clove crushed garlic, 2 tablespoons chardonnay vinegar and a handful of roughly chopped mint leaves. Season with sea salt flakes and ground black pepper, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and serve topped with thinly sliced radishes, torn extra mint leaves and dill sprigs.