On the cover:
Spring snapper and broad bean sandwich
We loved the simplicity of James Siddle's sandwich/burger — who doesn’t want to eat a freshly caught, fried snapper sarnie? And the broad bean puree looks and tastes great.
James says
“Spring provides the opportunity of warmer weather (if maybe not warmer waters) and a chance to get the fishing kayak out from under the house and on to the water. Catching fresh snapper and combining it with new season broad beans means proper fish finger sandwiches are back on the menu. Simple stuff is often the best stuff.”
Spring snapper and broad bean sandwiches
Serves 2-4 depending on size of snapper 1 snapper 1 egg Panko crumbs Oil, for frying 2 cups cooked and podded
broad beans Dollop of creme fraiche or
sour cream Lemon juice Chopped mint Sliced bread, buns or
wraps Tartare sauce, optional, to
serve 1 Catch snapper. 2 Remove fillets, cut into strips, and egg and breadcrumb using panko 3 In a hot pan with oil, shallow fry the crumbed snapper for a couple of minutes each side until golden, and place on paper towels for 30 seconds to drain excess oil. 4 While fish is cooking, combine broad beans, creme fraiche or sour cream, lemon juice, and chopped mint in a bowl or jug. Use hand blender or masher to roughly smash to desired texture, adding more or less of each ingredient depending on desired taste. Season with salt and pepper. 5 Decide on your bread, and spread broad bean puree on to the base, top with the fried fish, then a squeeze of lemon. 6 Add a dollop of home made tartare sauce on top to round it off if you wish. 7 Serve with a cold beer or crisp white like a Central Otago dry riesling Samantha Dekker says it all below and we wholeheartedly agree with her. This makes a great accompaniment for spring lamb too (but we won’t tell our vegan friends that).
Samantha says
“My vegan friend Kate made this for dinner one night and we’ve been hooked ever since I asked her for the recipe. The miso baked eggplant and cumin really elevate this dish. It’s a great way to get your quota of vegetables and, when you serve over a scoop of Ceres quinoa rice blend, it’s hard not to feel smug and virtuous at this super-healthy yet delicious meal. Leftovers the next day taste even better and it reheats well for lunches to take to work.
Kate’s ratatouille
Serves 4 1 eggplant 2 Tbsp miso paste 1 red onion, finely
chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 Tbsp olive oil 2 courgette, diced 1 red capsicum, diced 1 yellow capsicum, diced 2 spring onions, finely
chopped 1 Tbsp cumin seeds 1 cup sweetcorn kernels 1 Tbsp dried oregano Capers, to taste Kalamata olives, to taste 1 bottle tomato passata 1 small handful basil
leaves, torn 1 Heat oven to 180C. 2 Wash eggplant, cut in half and place in an ovenproof dish. Mix enough water with the miso paste to make it spreadable and smear over the eggplant. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until soft. 3 Saute the onion and garlic in oil in a deep pot (I use my Le Creuset oval casserole) gently to ensure it does not burn. 4 Add the courgette and capsicum and stir to soften. Add the spring onions, cumin seeds, sweetcorn, oregano, capers and olives. 5 Check eggplant and remove from oven. Chop into small chunks and add to the pot. Stir to cook for 2-3 minutes. 6 Add the tomato passata and let the mixture simmer for 20-30 minutes. Add basil just before serving. 7 Delicious on its own or over a scoop of quinoa, quinoa rice blend or quinoa and black beans.