SMOKED KINGFISH SALAD

SERVES 4 / PREPARATION 30 MINUTES / COOKING 30 MINUTES

Any smoked fish will do, but I enjoy the texture of kingfish, trevally or kahawai.

SMOKED KINGFISH SALAD

450g smoked kingfish (skinned

and boned weight)

600g cucumber, cut in half lengthwise,

seeds removed, thinly sliced 100g Belle Chèvre Creamery goat’s feta 200g peas

150g citrus-salted roast

macadamias (see recipe) a handful of dill or fennel leaves a handful of mint leaves

2 tablespoons olive oil macadamia cream dressing, (see recipe) pickled habanero chillies, (see recipe) Fire Dragon New Zealand Green

chilli sauce, to serve (optional)

Break the fish up into 3cm chunks and put it into a mixing bowl.

Put the cucumber into a colander over a mixing bowl, sprinkle lightly with salt and refrigerate for about 20 minutes. Crumble the feta into the mixing bowl with the fish and tip in the peas and macadamias. Add the dill, mint and cucumber slices. Pour in the olive oil and toss everything together gently with a grinding of black pepper. Check the seasoning, adding salt if necessary.

Put the macadamia cream dressing in the centre of the plate and top with the smoked fish salad.

Serve with pickled habanero chillies on the side and some New Zealand Green sauce, if using.

CITRUS-SALTED ROAST MACADAMIAS These nuts are a great snack on their own, especially with a chilled beverage.

150g macadamia nuts 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil 1 teaspoon honey 1 teaspoon Taipa Citrus Salt

Heat the oven to 180˚C. Toss the macadamias in the oil and honey. Spread out on a baking sheet lined with baking paper and bake for about 15-20 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oven, tip into a bowl and season with the citrus salt while still warm.

MACADAMIA CREAM DRESSING 250g natural macadamia nut butter 200ml water juice of 1 lemon

75ml olive oil

Put all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk until combined. Check for salt as you may need to add a touch.

PICKLED HABANERO CHILLIES Don’t be fooled by their innocent, candy-coloured appearance, habaneros, and their close cousins the Scotch Bonnets, are hot. To put it in context, capsicums have a zero Scoville scale rating, jalapeños have a rating of about 5,000 and habaneros can reach 500,000 units.

So this recipe requires health and safety warnings: use a separate chopping board and knife, rinsing them immediately you have finished; wear gloves when you are cleaning and slicing the chillies; keep the gloves on when you add the chillies to the jar (I use tweezers as well); throw the gloves away after you have used them and wash your hands straight away; the vapours are powerful, so work in a well-ventilated area; if you wish to avoid dealing with the vapours at all, add the chillies whole. It should go without saying, but keep your hands away from any mucus membranes after handling chillies.

2 cups habanero chillies 3 cloves garlic, crushed fresh dill leaves 250ml water 250ml apple cider vinegar 3 tablespoons sugar 2 tablespoons sea salt

Wearing gloves, rinse the chillies under cold, running water and slice into pieces. Pack the chillies into a clean, glass jar along with the garlic and dill. In a saucepan, bring the water, vinegar, sugar and salt to a simmer and cook until the sugar has dissolved. Pour into the jar, covering the chillies. Seal the jar and sterilise in a pot of boiling water for 10 minutes, then remove. Store in the fridge for several months. ■