Hooked on Asian flavour
Seafood prepared with Asian flavours is always a frontrunner in the taste-maker stakes, says NZ House & Garden’s Sally Butters.
Snapper carpaccio with soy-mandarin dressing
Simple sashimi is fabulously elegant but this dressing takes it to the next level, flavour-wise. This dish would be perfect as a light entree for a special meal.
Snapper carpaccio
125-150g sashimi-grade snapper 1-2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
Dressing
2 tbsp mandarin juice 2 tsp lemon juice 1 tbsp soy sauce
Garnish
Baby beetroot (we used golden and
regular beetroot)
Baby radishes (we used watermelon
radishes and regular radishes) Micro coriander
Prepare the garnish first: wash and thinly slice beetroot and radishes. Refresh the slices in a bowl of icecold water for 5 minutes then pat dry with paper towels.
Combine the dressing ingredients in a small bowl.
Thinly slice the snapper and arrange neatly on a plate. Drizzle over the olive oil and dressing. Garnish with beetroot, radishes and coriander and serve.
Serves 4 as an entree
Indian coconut fish curry
As well as fish, this delicious simmer sauce will work well with chicken, prawns, tofu or vegetables. Curry leaves are available from Asian grocers and some vegetable shops; freeze what you don’t use so you’ll have some handy for next time.
500g monkfish or other meaty
white fish
1-2 tbsp neutral-tasting oil, such
as grapeseed
1⁄2 tsp yellow mustard seeds 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 3 slices fresh ginger, finely
chopped
1⁄2 onion, diced
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground coriander
1⁄4-1⁄2 tsp ground chilli
1 tomato, chopped
425ml can coconut milk
1⁄2 cup water
2 sprigs curry leaves
1 tsp salt
11⁄2 -2 cups basmati rice, cooked*
Cut fish into large bite-size pieces.
Heat oil in a medium size pot over medium-high heat. Add mustard seeds and cook for 1 minute.
Add garlic and ginger and stir-fry for a minute. Add onion and cook 4-5 minutes or until soft and translucent.
Stir in turmeric, coriander and chilli and cook for 1 minute. Add chopped tomato and cook another 3-4 minutes.
Add coconut milk, water, curry leaves (discard the stalks) and salt. Bring to the boil and cook 3 minutes.
Add fish and simmer for 7-10 minutes or until fish is cooked through.
Serve with basmati rice.
Serves 3-4
* When cooking the rice, add some spices to make it extra fragrant, for example: 2 star anise, 1⁄2 cinnamon stick, 4 whole cloves and 2 cardamom pods. Discard spices before serving.
Sachie’s poke bowl
Poke originated from Hawaii but the marinated fish salad has become hugely popular around the globe, and no wonder – quick-cured fish with sushi rice and crunchy vege is a fabulous combination. This colourful version (from Sachie Nomura of Auckland cooking school Sachie’s Kitchen) is served with a sprinkle of Hawaii’s favourite Japanese condiment, furikake.
1 cup short grain rice
21⁄2 tbsp sushi vinegar
200g sashimi-grade tuna
1 tbsp soy sauce
1⁄4 tsp sesame seed oil
1⁄2 cup edamame beans, defrosted 1 small carrot, julienned and refreshed in ice-cold water 1 avocado, sliced
100g red cabbage, finely shredded 2 tsp tobiko (flying fish roe), optional Chilli sauce, such as sriracha,
to serve (optional)
Cucumber pickles
4 tbsp sushi vinegar
1⁄2 tsp caster sugar
Few slices of red chilli
100g telegraph cucumber, seeded and thinly sliced
Furikake
4 tbsp mixed black and white
sesame seeds
11⁄2 tsp flaky sea salt
1 sheet nori, cut in very small pieces
Cook rice. Once cooked, stir in sushi vinegar while the rice is hot. Divide between 2 serving bowls.
Cut tuna into 1cm cubes and marinate in soy sauce and sesame oil for 10 minutes.
To make cucumber pickles, mix sushi vinegar, sugar and chilli in a bowl. Add cucumber slices and marinate for 10-15 minutes.
To serve, arrange tuna, cucumber pickles, edamame, carrot, avocado and cabbage on top of sushi rice. Garnish with tobiko, if using, and sprinkle with some furikake. Drizzle chilli sauce on top for extra spice. For the furikake: Toast seeds in a dry pan over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until the white seeds are pale golden. Take off heat and mix in salt and nori. Furikake will keep in an airtight container for 2 weeks. You can sprinkle it on any savoury dish, even popcorn. Serves 2