Pickled fish with courgette ribbons and yoghurt & coriander dressing

Courtesy Peter Goffe-Wood from Kitchen Cowboys in Salt River and a Master chef SA judge

Serves 14

Ingredients
2 kg Angelfish
750 ml verjuice
250 ml white wine vinegar
150 g sugar
1 tblsp sugar
2 tblsp curry powder
1 tsp salt
1 tblsp black peppercorns
1 tblsp coriander seeds
4 onions, sliced
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
100g ginger root, thinly sliced
6 bay leaves
2 red chillies, finely chopped
25 g flour
6 courgettes
500 ml plain yoghurt
30 g coriander

Preparation
Cut the fish into 5cm cubes. Season the fish with salt & pepper and fry in a pan in hot oil. Remove from the pan and keep to one side. Heat some oil in a large saucepan. Add the coriander seeds and bay leaves and fry for 30 seconds. Add the onions, chillies, ginger and garlic and fry until they begin to soften. Add the flour, curry powder and turmeric and fry for 30 seconds. Pour in the white wine vinegar, water and sugar and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
Remove from the heat. Place the fish in a glass or stainless steel dish and pour over the hot marinade. Leave to cool and then refrigerate.
Slice the courgettes lengthways into broad noodles with a vegetable peeler.
Finely chop the coriander and add it to the yoghurt. Season with salt & pepper. Arrange a pile of courgette ribbons in the middle of a plate and place a piece of pickled fish on top of the vegetables. Spoon a little of the marinade on top of the fish. Drizzle the yoghurt dressing around the outside of the plate.

Download the PDF for this recipe here.

Black mussel, saffron and fennel soup

Courtesy Peter Goffe-Wood from Kitchen Cowboys in Salt River and a Master chef SA judge

The mussel’s ‘beard’ is known as the byssus. It is used by the mussel to attach itself to surfaces with the aid of adhesive cement, which the mussel secretes. Before preparing a mussel for cooking and eating, the byssus should either by cut off or pulled out with a sharp tug, then discarded. If cooked, these taste sandy and unpalatable.
Mussels are a good source of Vitamin C, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Folate, Phosphorus and Zinc, and a very good source of Protein, Vitamin B12, Iron, Manganese and Selenium. Mussels are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, selenium and iodine.

Ingredients
300 g mussels
100 ml white wine
1 bulb fennel, thinly sliced (save fronds for garnish)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 pinch saffron
100 ml cream

Preparation
Put a large stainless steel pot on the stove and heat the pot for 5 min. Add the mussels and the wine. Cover and steam until all the mussels have opened.
Pour the mussels into a colander, keep the stock to one side; you will need it later for the soup base. Discard any mussels that have not opened and remove the rest from their shells.
Put a medium saucepan on the stove. Add a little oil followed by the fennel and garlic. Fry until the fennel is soft and translucent. Add the saffron followed by the mussel stock. Bring to the boil and then add the cream and simmer for a further 10 min. Add the mussels back into the soup and remove from the heat. Add the garnish and serve.

Grilled squid with pumpkin seed pesto

Courtesy Peter Goffe-Wood from Kitchen Cowboys in Salt River and a Master chef SA judge

Ingredients
3 tomatoes
900 g squid
100 g rocket
1 cup pumpkin seed pesto (recipe below)

Preparation
Blanche, skin and seed the tomatoes. Cut the remaining tomato flesh into a neat dice.
Season the squid with salt and pepper and grill on a hot griddle plate or sauté in a fiercely hot wok. Remove the squid from the heat and place into a large bowl.
Add one tablespoon of the pesto followed by the chopped tomato and mixture all together. Add the rocket just before serving, toss and plate, garnishing with the rest of the pesto.

Ingredients for pumpkin seed pesto
2 cups pumpkin seeds
3 green chillies
15 g lemon zest
6 cloves garlic
3 tblsp black mustard seeds, roasted
3 tblsp coriander seeds, roasted
80 ml lemon juice
200 ml pumpkin seed oil

Preparation
Put all the ingredients except the oil into a pestle and mortar and grind into a rough paste. Thin the mixture out with the oil. Season the pesto with salt and pepper.

Grilled yellowtail with preserved lemon, mint & Puy lentil salsa

Courtesy Peter Goffe-Wood from Kitchen Cowboys in Salt River and a Master chef SA judge

Ingredients
6 x 180g pieces wild-caught yellowtail fillet
125ml (½ cup) extra virgin olive oil
250ml (1 cup) green Puy lentils
1 bulb garlic
1 red chilli
1 red pepper
½ red onion
½ cucumber
1 preserved lemon (recipe below)
125 ml (½ cup) pitted green olives
Juice of 1 lemon
60 g mint
120 g rocket
Salt & pepper

Preparation
Put the lentils in a saucepan with the bulb of garlic and the red chilli and cover with water. Simmer the lentils for approximately 40 minutes until soft. Remove the pan from the heat and leave the lentils to cool in their cooking liquid.
Chop the red pepper, red onion, cucumber and olives into a neat dice, roughly the same size as the lentils. Remove the rind of the preserved lemon and dice.
Drain the lentils, remove the garlic and chilli and add all of the chopped vegetables together with the lemon juice and the rest of the olive oil. Roughly chop the mint and add to the salad then season with salt and pepper.
Brush the fillets with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook fillets side down on a braai grid over a hot fire or in a searing hot skillet. Cook the fish for a couple of minutes on each side and then remove from the heat.
Place the rocket in the middle of the plate, put a piece of fish on top of the rocket and spoon the salsa liberally over the fish. Garnish with a hefty drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Ingredients for preserved lemon
6 lemons
125 ml (½ cup) lemon juice
250 ml (1 cup) salt

Preparation
Cut the lemons as if to quarter them but don’t cut through the base so the quarters remain intact at the bottom.
Fill the lemons with the salt and place them in a glass jar. Pour in the lemon juice and seal the jar. Turn the lemons occasionally so that they are all evenly submerged in the brine.
Keep the lemons in the fridge for six weeks before they are ready to use. When they are ready cut away everything expect the rind. This is the only part that is usable as the flesh and pith will be too salty. This rind when diced or cut into strips gives a fantastic zing to salsas and dip as well as a subtly seasoning when added to soups and stews.

Polenta crusted hake, broccoli, roasted pepper & olive salad, chilli & anchovy dressing

Courtesy Peter Goffe-Wood from Kitchen Cowboys in Salt River and a Master chef SA judge

There is always an alternative to an orange- or red-listed species like MSC-certified trawl-caught hake.

Ingredients
6 x 200 g hake fillets
2 cups polenta
2 head broccoli
3 red peppers
600 g black olives
900 g boiled new potatoes
1 red chilli
8 fillets anchovy
150 ml extra virgin olive oil
1 cup breadcrumbs

Preparation
Place the peppers under a grill until they blister and begin to char. Remove the peppers from the grill and leave to cool. Once cool remove all of the skin and the seeds and cut into strips.
Cut the broccoli into florets and then blanche in boiling salted water and then refresh in ice cold water. Be careful not to overcook the broccoli – it should remain bright green and crunchy.
For the dressing, finely chop the red chilli and roughly chop the anchovy fillets. Add both ingredients to a hot frying pan with a little of the olive oil. Fry until the anchovy begins to split and disintegrate. Remove the pan from the heat and add the rest of the olive oil. Then add the bread crumbs. The dressing should resemble a thick paste.
Season the hake fillets with salt & pepper and dip the skin side into the polenta flour.
Heat a frying pan large enough to accommodate all 6 pieces of fish. Add a thin layer of sunflower oil and when the oil is hot, place the fish, polenta side down, in the oil. Cook for approximately 8 minutes (depending on thickness of fillet) and then turn the fish over and cook for a further 3 minutes.
While the fish is cooking, combine the peppers, broccoli, olives and potatoes in a pan and warm. Stir some of the anchovy dressing in with the salad. Place the salad in the middle of 6 plates and place a piece of hake, polenta side up, on each salad. Spoon the last of the dressing on top of the fish.

Japanese-style oysters, cucumber noodles, pickled ginger & soy dipping sauce

Courtesy Peter Goffe-Wood from Kitchen Cowboys in Salt River and a Master chef SA judge

Do you know that there are two species of oysters living in South Africa?
The Pacific oyster is not indigenous to South Africa – it’s from the Pacific coast of Asia originally – but it’s a good #sustainableseafood option that’s now cultivated on floating rafts off South Africa’s coast. The Cape Oyster is the other species living in South Africa. This one is native to our waters, but depending on where it comes from it may be green or orange according to #SASSI.

Ingredients
6 medium oysters, shucked
1 cucumber
50 g pickled sushi ginger
50 ml Kikkoman soy sauce

Preparation
Cut the cucumber into noodles using a mandolin. Remove the oysters from their shells, place a small amount of cucumber noodles in the bottom of the shells and then replace the oysters. Serve on a bed of crushed ice or coarse salt garnish with a little of the ginger and a dribble of soy.

Sauté of squid, chorizo, butterbeans, tomato, garlic, lemon & parsley

Courtesy Peter Goffe-Wood from Kitchen Cowboys in Salt River and a Master chef SA judge

Ingredients
200 g squid
100 g chorizo sliced
1 tin butterbeans drained
3 tomatoes, blanched, peeled and roughly chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
100g unsalted butter
1 cup flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped (reserve a pinch for garnish)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Preparation
Heat a little oil in a hot sauté pan. Add the chorizo. When the chorizo begins to take on some colour, add the squid followed by the roughly chopped tomatoes. As the tomato begins to break down, add the butterbeans, garlic, chopped parsley, butter and the lemon juice. When the butter has melted, remove the pan from the heat and serve. Adjust the seasoning with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Smoked snoek fishcakes with cucumber noodles & sweet chilli sauce

Courtesy Peter Goffe-Wood from Kitchen Cowboys in Salt River and a Master chef SA judge

Serves 6

Ingredients
250 g smoked snoek
1 tsp leaf masala
½ tsp turmeric
1 small onion sliced
10 g ginger, finely chopped
10 g garlic, finely chopped
1 large potato, parboiled skin on
50 g flour
2 eggs
10 g coriander
10 g mint
Juice of 1 lemon
20 g rocket
750 ml sweet chilli sauce

Preparation
Flake the snoek, removing all of the bones. Heat a sauce pan with a little oil and then fry the masala and turmeric for 30 sec then add the sliced onion, garlic & ginger. Fry until the onion begins to soften and then remove from the heat and leave to cool.
Grate the parboiled potato, skin & all into the onion mixture. Add the flour and egg. Roughly chop the herbs and add to the mixture together with the lemon juice.
Roll and shape into small cakes, dust with a little flour and fry in a pan until golden brown on both sides.
To serve, place fishcakes on a bed of rocket with some sweet chilli sauce. Garnish with a lemon wedge.

Smoked tuna, spiced black urid lentils, yoghurt dressing and black onion seed poppadoms

Courtesy Peter Goffe-Wood from Kitchen Cowboys in Salt River and a Master chef SA judge

Serves 6

Ingredients
6 x 200 g pole-caught Albacore tuna steaks
1 L water
125 g salt
125 g brown sugar
3 sprigs thyme
2 tsp black peppercorns
4 cloves

yogurt dressing (recipe below)
spiced black urid lentils (recipe below)
poppadoms (recipe below)

Preparation
Combine water, salt, sugar and aromatics together in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to the boil, remove from the heat and leave to cool.
When the brine has cooled, submerge the tuna steaks in the salt solution for 30 min.
After 30 min, remover the tuna steaks from the brine and pat dry. Drizzle the steaks with a little olive oil and seasons with salt and pepper.
Fill the smoker with oak shavings, place on the heat and smoke the tuna for 10 min. Remove the tuna from the smoker and leave to cool.
When ready to serve, finish the tuna in a pan or on a hot grill. Warm the lentils and spoon onto a plate, place the tuna steak on top of the lentils and drizzle the yoghurt dressing around the outside. Garnish with 3 poppadoms and an additional sprig of coriander.

Ingredients for yogurt dressing
300 ml Greek yoghurt
10 g coriander
Juice of 1 lemon

Preparation
Roughly chop the coriander and add it to the yoghurt. Add the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.

Ingredients for spiced black urid lentils
250 g black urid lentils
1 L water
30 g ginger
30 g garlic
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chilli powder
2 tblsp tomato puree
100 g butter
1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves
50 ml cream
2 tsp sugar
1 tblsp garam masala
Juice of 1 lime or lemon

Preparation
Soak the lentils overnight.
Drain the lentils and put in a pot with water. Simmer the lentils for an hour until they are soft but not falling apart.
Peel the ginger and garlic and blend to paste in a liquidiser. Add the paste to the lentils with the salt and the chilli. Cook for a further 1 min, then add the tomato puree and the butter. When the lentils are nice and thick, remove from the heat and add the remaining ingredients.

Ingredients for poppadoms
500 g cake flour
60 g butter
1 tblsp black onion seeds
1 tsp salt
Hot milk

Preparation
Mix the flour and onion seeds together. Add the salt. Rub in the butter. Add enough hot milk to bring the dough together into a smooth elastic ball. Roll out with a pasta machine, cut into small rounds and deep fry.

Grilled hottentot, lime & spring onion mash, blanched asparagus, roasted red pepper and salsa

Courtesy Chef Bjorn Guido

Ingredients
Hottentot
200 g potatoes
100 ml cream
1 red Pepper
1 lime
1 lemon
Spring onion
Asparagus
Cherry tomatoes
Red onion
Basil, thyme, coriander, garlic, olive oil
Sherry vinegar

Preparation
Grill fish, skin side down, with olive oil, salt and pepper.
Boil potatoes. While still hot, crush the potatoes with the cream, the juice of 1 lime and finely chopped spring onion.
Cut the red pepper into 4, and roast with fresh basil, garlic and olive oil.
Pan-roast the asparagus with lemon juice, garlic and thyme.
For the salsa: thinly sliced cherry tomatoes, red onion, a splash of sherry vinegar, chopped coriander, salt and pepper.

Linefish nicoise

Courtesy Chef Brad Ball

Ingredients
1 x fresh, small fish (santer, gurnard or elf, preferably)
Flour for dusting
Baby potatoes, blanched and quartered
Black olives pitted
Black olive tapenade
Caper berries
Sugar snap peas, blanched and refreshed
Cherry tomatoes, red and yellow, halved
Fresh chives, chopped
Quail eggs x 2 soft boiled for 2 minutes, peeled and halved
Cream
Butter unsalted
Sunflower oil
Dry white wine
Salt and pepper

Preparation
Bring some oil up to heat in a sauté pan, dust your fish fillet in the seasoned flour and then place it skin side down in you pan. Allow to cook gently for about 4 – 5 minutes on the skin before turning and cooking for another minute or two.
While the fish cooks, place your quartered potatoes into a sauce pan with some oil and sauté until golden brown. Add sugar snaps, olives, capers, tomatoes, fresh chives and season to taste. Remove from the heat and keep warm.
Remove the fish from the pan and place on a tray in a warm part of the kitchen.
Deglaze the pan with a half glass of white wine and reduce by ½. Add ½ cup of cream and reduce by ½. Remove from the heat and add 2 tablespoons cold butter. Stir butter into sauce.
On a plate place a dollop of tapenade and pull across the plate with the back of a spoon. Place the vegetable mix off centre of your plate with your quail eggs next to it. Place the fish adjacent to the veg and finish with your sauce

Blackened hake kedgeree

Courtesy Chef Bruce Robertson

Serves 6

Ingredients
Black Spice
1 Tbsp Paprika
½ Tbsp Cayenne Pepper
½ Tbsp Chilli Powder
½ Tbsp Ground Cumin

x12 50gms Hake Fillets/Cubed
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
¾ Cup Warm Beurre Blanc Sauce

Beurre Blanc
½ Cup White Wine
2 Tsp White Wine Vinegar
1 Tsp Lemon Juice
1 Tbsp Shallots/Chopped
2 Tbsp Sour Cream
½ Cup Butter

Soy-Mustard Sauce
¼ Cup Mustard Powder
2 Tbsp Hot Water
2 Tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar
¼ Cup Soya Sauce

Risotto
2 Cups Fish Stock
2 Shallots Diced
30 g Butter
Pinch Saffron
2 Cloves Garlic
½ Cup White Wine
½ Cup Whipped Cream
6 Stems Chives neatly chopped

Garnish
Mung Bean Shoots
½ Tbsp Toasted Sesame Seeds
4 Quails Eggs/Poached

Preparation
Mustard sauce
In a small bowl add all the ingredients together and let sit for an hour for the flavours to infuse, pass through a fine sieve and refrigerate.

Beurre Blanc
In a small, heavy based/stainless steel pot add the wine, lemon juice chopped shallots and wine. Bring to the simmer and reduce the liquid by half. Add the cream and reduce yet again by half and add the butter, whisky gently so as not to split the sauce. For this recipe do not strain/Take off heat and keep warm on the side.

Black Spice
In a large bowl mix all the dry ingredients together.
Cut the Hake fillet into x12 50gm Cubes/Skin on and generously ‘Dust’ the cubes with the spice mix.

Risotto
In a medium, heavy based/stainless steel pot add the olive oil, diced shallots, crushed garlic a sauté of for 2 minutes on medium heat until the shallots are transparent. Add the saffron and butter and melt, stirring with a wooden spoon. Add the rice, stir and add the white wine…reduce until all the liquid has evaporated.
Add the hot fish stock to the rice, reduce the heat to simmer and continuously stir in with a wooden spoon for approximately 10minutes or until the rice is sticky and al dente. Add more fish stock if needs be.
Finish off with the whipped cream and chopped chives.

Plate and serve
In a heavy bottom ‘Skillet’ Pan add the 2 Tblspoons olive oil and bring up to heat, add the ‘Dusted’ Hake fillets skin side down and sear on both sides for 30 seconds.
On the plates, spoon on the hot creamy saffron risotto equally. Carefully place a poached quail egg onto the rice. From the hot pan…onto the plate, place the ‘Blackened’ Hake fillets. Sauce over with the Beurre Blanc and shallot mix.
Drizzle on the mustard dressing and sprinkle over with sesame seeds and the Mung Bean shoot.
Serve and enjoy!

Download the PDF for this recipe here.

Angelfish with salad of fennel bulb, lime & black olive

Courtesy Chef David Higgs

Ingredients
1 fennel bulb (shaved)
2 limes
Black olives
Olive oil
Fennel herb
Salt
Pepper

Preparation
Heat the oil and butter in a pan. Lightly season the angelfish fillets and then fry in the oil/butter mixture.
Slice the fennel bulb into thin strips. Chop the olives and toss this into the fennel bulb strips. Drizzle the mixture of olives and fennel with the juice from the limes.
Garnish the salad with fresh fennel herb and serve on the side.

Tempura anchovy with a salad of shaved asparagus, rocket, peas, crushed cashews & parmesan with a sour cream and grapefruit dressing

Courtesy Chef David Higgs

Ingredients
100 g anchovies
1 cup flour
1/2 cup rice flour
1 tspn baking powder
500 ml sparkling water
2 egg whites
A few green asparagus
Wild rocket
1 cup fresh or frozen peas
Handful of cashews
Parmesan
Sour cream
1 ruby grapefruit

Preparation
Mix the flour, baking powder, rice flour, egg whites and sparkling water and beat until it forms a creamy batter. Dip the anchovies and rocket in the batter and deep fry. Set these aside.
To make the salad, peel and segment the ruby grapefruit, dice the cashew nuts, shave the asparagus and toss all of these together. Spread the deep fried anchovies and rocket over the salad. Boil the peas and gently crush them. Sprinkle the crushed peas over the salad and then garnish with
a dollop of sour cream and a few shavings of parmesan.

Smoked trout spread served with home crisp Melba toast

Courtesy Chef Jackie Cameron

Makes about 360 g

Ingredients
85 g Smoked Trout
1 ½ cloves, 6g, crushed Garlic
5 sprigs, 5ml, Chopped Fennel
6 sprigs, 10ml, Chopped Chives
15 ml freshly squeezed Lemon Juice
¼ Onion, 48g, grated Onion
200g Cream Cheese
60 ml of lightly whipped Cream
Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper
Optional
10 ml Horseradish crème

Preparation
Flake the trout into small pieces (chef’s note: when using trout lightly pan sear in butter to allow easy flaking). Add the garlic, fennel, chives, lemon juice and onion to the trout.
Finish with the cream cheese, cream amount and optional horseradish crème.
Season and serve with Melba toast (chef’s note: use stale bread or freeze your bread overnight. This will make slicing quick and easy. Once sliced, place into an oven on a low heat to allow even drying out until crispy.)

Duo of Trout with creamy avocado, deep-fried seaweed, caviar, lavender flowers and frozen apple

Courtesy Chef Jackie Cameron

Ingredients for smoked trout spread
Yields: 4 smoked rolls, each uses 15 g of mixture

15 g Smoked Trout
1 g crushed Garlic
1 ml Chopped Fennel
1 ml Chopped Chives
2.5 ml freshly squeezed Lemon Juice
8 g grated Onion
30 g Cream Cheese
10 ml of lightly whipped Cream
Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper

Optional
1.5 ml Horseradish crème

* Smoked salmon trout – 40-50g, cut 10x6cm pieces

Preparation
Flake the trout into small pieces (chef’s note: when using trout lightly pan sear in butter to allow easy flaking). Add the garlic, fennel, chives, lemon juice and onion to the trout.
Finish with the cream cheese, cream and horseradish amount.
Take mixture and dived it up into four amounts. Place the piece of smoked salmon trout on a large piece of plastic. Pipe or spoon this mixture down the centre-lengthways- of your smoked salmon trout and with the help of the plastic roll the smoked salmon trout over and around the trout spread. Tie the one side and continue rolling on the surface and then tightly secure so forming a long thin duo of trout cylinder. Place into the fridge.

Other ingredients to accompany Duo of Trout
Nori seaweed: ½ a sheet broken into small pieces and deep-fried in 250ml sunflower oil until crisp.
Apple: the smallest of small melon balls cut out of a ¼ granny smith apple resulting in 20 little balls, mix 2.5ml lemon juice and 2.5 ml water and toss these balls in this and then freeze over night.
Avocado puree: 2 avocados, about 630g, put through a sieve which will result in 270g of puree add 25ml lemon juice and salt and pepper. Each portion about 70g of puree.
Croutons: 1 slice Albany white bread, crust removed and cut into blocks. In 20ml olive oil add 2 g rosemary chopped, toss over bread, and add salt and pepper and oven bake until crisp.
Dill: 4 by three small sprigs of dill per plate
Lavender: 1 sprig with its flowers.
Red onion: 4 half rings.
Caviar: 15 ml.
Olive oil: 20 ml extra virgin olive oil.
Lemon powder: 185g of lemon (one lemon) thinly sliced, placed on greaseproof paper onto a tray and left to dry out for a long period within an oven. When crisp, cool and then blend and sieve.
Grind of black pepper.
Grating of fresh horseradish.

Plating
Plate a large size spoonful of avocado puree on the left hand side of your plate. Taking a thick spaced comb pull half of this amount across the plate lengthways. Place duo roll at an angle on the plate. Top this with a line of caviar and then place all the other ingredients in and around the plate, finishing off with the lemon powder sprinkle, grind of black pepper and grating of fresh horseradish.

Grilled yellowtail, asparagus, coriander roasted potatoes with a simple salsa

Courtesy of our Trailblazer Chef, Bjorn Guido, executive chef of the Millhouse Kitchen at Lourensford

Ingredients
200 gm yellow tail
5 baby potatoes
5 asparagus
1 lemon
20 g Coriander
Cherry tomatoes
Spring onion
Sherry vinegar

Preparation
Slice cherry tomatoes in thin rings, chop the spring onion fine, add 1 tsp sherry vinegar and a squeeze of lemon, season to taste.
Grill yellow tail 3 min a side with butter and halve a lemon. Cut potatoes in halves, add 5gm butter and bake at 180 for 25 min, after which add fresh coriander. Grill asparagus in a pan with butter for 4 min, tossing continuously. Salt and pepper.

Download the PDF for this recipe here.

Salted yellowtail, chapped chilli and olive bruschetta

Courtesy of our Trailblazer Chef, Bjorn Guido, executive chef of the Millhouse Kitchen at Lourensford

Can be served in salads or on bruschetta.

Ingredients
250 gm yellowtail
1 clove of garlic
Chillies and olives
1 L milk
1 x sprig of thyme
Salt to taste

Preparation
Poach fish in the milk, with salt, thyme and the clove of garlic, allow to soften and fall apart. Remove flesh from skin and flack with two forks and allow to cool. Once cooled, add 100gm mash and seasoning with a whisk.
Finely chop the chillies and the olives, and sprinkle over the fish with chef-like flair! And voila! Enjoy your delicious sustainable seafood.

Download the PDF for this recipe here.

Summer harvest trout salad

Courtesy of our Trailblazer Chef, Bjorn Guido, executive chef of the Millhouse Kitchen at Lourensford


Ingredients for salad
150g Lourensford smoked trout
Roasted cherry tomatoes
Blanched asparagus
Orange segments
Shaved raw fennel bulb

Ingredients for dressing
Juice of 2 lemons
1 tsp dijoin mustard
1 tsp honey
50ml olive oil

Preparation
Blend all dressing ingredients together and drizzle over the salad. If you are feeling especially creative, you can add a poached egg.
Now, sit back and enjoy your delicious sustainable seafood.

Download the PDF for this recipe here.

Spicy tomato mussel pot on the braai

Courtesy of SASSI Braai Ambassador Chris Kastern

Ingredients
200 g butter
4 onions
8 cloves of garlic
1 finger ginger
4 can of chopped tomatoes (or an equal amount of fresh chopped tomatoes with a sachet of tomato paste)
2 punnets fresh basil
4 tbs sugar
3,5 kg fresh mussels (clean mussels and allow soaking in milk/water mixture for an hour in the fridge)
1 tbsp. turmeric
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. cumin
2 chilli, deseeded and chopped

Preparation
Heat a potjie over moderate coals, add the mussels, a splash of water and then steam the mussels until they’ve opened up. Discard any closed ones and keep the water they steamed in.
Next, in a separate potjie, sauté the onions, garlic and ginger in the butter, then add all the spices and the tomato. Simmer for about 20 minutes, and then add the chopped basil and sugar and season to taste. Add about 200ml of the mussel water (or mussel liquor as it is called), then add the mussels and simmer for about 5 minutes.

Serve hot, garnished with basil leaves, black pepper and fresh bread on the side.

Asian-steamed hake

Courtesy Brad Ball

I absolutely love to cook fish this way! Hake is the most underrated fish. We always think of it as those tiny frozen tasteless fillets from the supermarket. When it’s fresh, it’s wonderfully delicate. It can really handle been given some serious flavours.

Ingredients
4 hake fillets, about 190g each and at least 2cm thick, not the frozen ones, fresh from a fish monger
4 large spring onions, sliced
1 thumb sized piece of ginger, peeled and sliced into match sticks
1 chilli, seeds removed and sliced into match sticks
1 red onion, sliced
Hand full fresh coriander, washed
1 stick of lemon grass, cut into 4
8 pieces tenderstem broccoli
4 tablespoons of fish sauce
2 teaspoons of sesame oil
200 ml of dry white wine

Preparation
To make the steaming pouches you will need 4 equal pieces of foil about 60 cm long. Fold it in half and then in half again. Give three of the edges a 1cm seam leaving the one end open to form a pocket
Divide all the ingredients among the four foil pockets and then close them tightly by folding seams over double to avoid any leakage.
Place the packs into and oven on a tray at 180°C and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and rest for 5 minutes.
Place the contents of the bag into a bowl with some steamed rice and a good squeeze of fresh lime juice.

Corn, mussel and hake chowder

Courtesy of our Trailblazer Chef, Bjorn Guido, executive chef of the Millhouse Kitchen at Lourensford

Ingredients
1 stalk celery
1 medium onion
10 ml Pernod
olive oil thyme
1 tablespoon
All-purpose flour
3 cups 1% milk
1 medium potato, peeled and cut into little cubes
200 gm hake
3 spring onions
100 gm steamed mussels
1 cups trimmed corn
¼ cup fresh chives, chopped, or parsley

Preparation
Chop your celery and onion. Grab a medium pan, add the celery (not the leaves), onion, and thyme. Stir until the vegetables start to brown. Deglaze with Pernod.
Add fish and mussels. Remember to remove bones and skin of hake (it will break up but that’s the point).
Sprinkle the flour over the veggies and stir for a few more minutes. Pour in the milk, add the potato and bring to a boil, stirring the whole time so the soup doesn’t stick to the pot.
Meanwhile, chop the celery leaves, trim the ends off the spring onions and slice them thinly. When the potatoes are ready, stir in the corn, spring onion and celery leaves. Bring the soup back to the boil, then serve.

Ceviche

Courtesy Tom Robbins

Two cheap white fish, hake and angelfish, are suggested.
Apparently any citrus will do but when limes are low it helps to add an acidic sweet fruit, such as the naartjie, to the lemon. Or just use grapefruit.

The basics are:
1. Chop the fish into small pieces. Cure the fish in lime juice with sea salt for around eight minutes. Then squeeze out the juices with your hands.
2. Add grated ginger, finely chopped chillies, spring onions and fresh coriander.

Voila, you now have refreshing and healthy summery starter. Play around with the marinating time and herb combinations that suit your palate. Invite friends over for a lunch party and instruct them to each make their own ceviche combos. You’ll be the talk of your circle.

I only used about a third of my angel fish and fried the rest in butter for a main course (for one). The upshot – you don’t need an expensive fish to prepare ceviche.

Confit of tuna in infused olive oil

Courtesy Brad Ball

This is my version of “tinned tuna”. When fresh tuna is available at a good price I buy more than I need and cook some fresh, seared with a nicoise salad, but then confit the rest so that I have tuna in jars in my pantry cupboard. Once you’ve made this you will never want to eat the tinned stuff again.

Ingredients
1,000 ml good-quality olive oil, not extra virgin though
1 medium onion, peeled and cut into thick slices
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
6 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. black peppercorns, coarsely cracked
Zest of 1 lemon
3 Tbs. coarse salt
1,200 g top-quality Yellowfin or long fin tuna cut into 3cm thick steaks, make sure to cut out the blood line

Preparation
Combine the oil, onion, herbs, peppercorns, lemon zest, and salt in a deep sauté pan. Heat to 65°C, stirring occasionally, and cook for 20 minutes at 65°c to infuse. The oil must not boil or it will fry the aromatics and burn. Remove from the heat and allow to rest for 30 minutes
Place the tuna into the warm oil and place it back on the heat, make sure the tuna is completely covered by the oil. Add more if necessary.
Gradually bring the oil back 60°C and immediately turn off the heat. Allow the tuna to confit in the warm oil for 7 minutes.
Place the tuna chunks into sterilised jars and strain the aromatics from the oil. Allow the oil to cool down. Pour the infused oil into the jars covering the tuna. Place a lid on top and refrigerate.

The tuna confit will keep for 3-4 weeks. Use in salads, sandwiches or eat it straight from the jar with a little fresh lemon juice squeezed over it.

Baked trout, walnut crème fraiche and roast baby beets

Courtesy Brad Ball

Serves 4

Ingredients
Baby beets, about 3 per person, washed and trimmed
80 ml balsamic vinegar
Salt
Pepper
2 sprigs of thyme

4 whole trout, 450g each, gutted and scaled
Bunch fresh thyme
12 lemon slices

4 heaped tablespoons creamed horseradish
6 tablespoons toasted walnuts, crushed
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons of chopped chives

Preparation of beets
Pre-heat oven to 240°C. Place beets in a tray and season with salt, pepper. Add thyme and balsamic. Cover with foil. Roast for 20 minutes until tender.
Remove and peel when cool enough to handle.
Dress with olive oil and check seasoning, set aside.

Preparation of trout
Pre-heat oven to 240°C. Rub trout with some oil and season with salt and pepper. Fill cavity with some thyme and lemon slices. Bake for 12 minutes, do not turn.

Preparation of walnut crème fraiche
Mix together the ingredients and season well. Allow to stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Plate up and enjoy!

Roasted, whole trout

Courtesy Chef Jackie Cameron

Ingredients
1 (500gr) whole fresh trout
1 (165gr) lemon, sliced
½ (65gr) onion, sliced
2 cloves (10 g) fresh garlic, chopped
4 sprigs fresh oregano, roughly chopped
6 sprigs fresh fennel, roughly chopped
6 sprigs fresh chives, roughly chopped
60ml Olive Oil
5ml Maldon Salt
Fresh grind black pepper

Preparation
Mix the lemon slices, onions, garlic and roughly chopped herbs together with olive oil. Place this inside the trout and then on top and around. Sprinkle with Maldon salt and a fresh grind of black pepper over the trout.
Roast in a pre-heated oven at 200°C for 30-40 minutes or until cooked.

Photo by Karen Edward’s Photography
082 441 7429 / karene@bundunet.com
www.karenephotographysa.com / www.midlandsphotographers.wordpress.com

Trout fishcakes

Courtesy Chef Jackie Cameron

Makes 18

Ingredients
150 gr cooked trout, flaked
15 gr fresh fennel, chopped
250 gr mashed potatoes
125 ml breadcrumbs, dried
1 med onion, grated
1 whole egg
125 ml milk, full cream
2.5 ml Durban Masala
Salt and Pepper

Extras
125 ml breadcrumbs, dried
30 gr butter
30 ml sunflower oil

Preparation
Mix all the ingredients together. Portion out to 40 gr ball sizes.
Roll in extra breadcrumbs and push out neatly in a 5.5cm cutter. Place in the fridge for a few minutes to allow firming.
Heat a non-stick pan, melt the butter and oil, sear the fishcakes on both sides. Oven roast for 10 minutes at 160°C, turn over and cooked for 5 minutes.

Photo by Karen Edward’s Photography
082 441 7429 / karene@bundunet.com
www.karenephotographysa.com / www.midlandsphotographers.wordpress.com

Trout rice salad

Courtesy Chef Jackie Cameron

Trout rice salad is a refreshing and scrumptious light-lunch option. The slight spiciness with a touch of sweetness from the raisins complements the trout so well. Remember to include a side serving of lemon wedges.

Serves 4–6

Ingredients for aioli (yields about 300 ml)
Aioli is a homemade mayonnaise flavoured with garlic.

3 egg yolks
7.5 ml dijon mustard
5 gr garlic
7.5 ml warm water
125 ml olive oil
125 ml sunflower oil
10 ml lemon juice

Preparation
Whisk the egg yolks, mustard, garlic and water very well until thick and creamy in colour
Add both the oils, to form an emulsion, very slowly, while whisking all the time. This will prevent splitting and will also ensure a think aioli
Finish with the lemon juice and taste for seasoning
Set aside for later use

Ingredients for rice salad
5 ml Durban Masala
1 (120gr) onion, grated
4 gr garlic, crushed
10 gr dill, chopped
500 ml cooked rice
125 ml raisins
125 ml saltanas
2 nectarines/peaches cut into wedges
150 ml aioli
Salt and pepper

Preparation
Mix the masala, onion, garlic, dill, rice, raisins and saltanas all together in a large bowl. Place in a serving dish. Place nectarines wedges.
Spoon the aioli on top.
Grind black pepper, garnish with fresh dill and lavender flowers.

Photo by Karen Edward’s Photography
082 441 7429 / karene@bundunet.com
www.karenephotographysa.com / www.midlandsphotographers.wordpress.com

Trout spring rolls and sweet chili sauce

Courtesy Chef Jackie Cameron

Makes 10

Ingredients
10 gr butter
20 ml sunflower oil
15 ml sesame oil
160 gr onion, sliced
14o gr red and/or yellow peppers, sliced
8 gr fresh ginger, grated
3 cloves (15gr) fresh garlic, grated
20 ml black or white sesame seeds
265 gr cooked trout, flaked
40 ml Kikkoman soy sauce
40 ml freshly squeezed Lemon Juice
10 sheets spring roll pastry

40 ml cake flour
60 ml water

Preparation
Heat a pan, add the butter, sunflower and sesame oil. Sauté the onions add peppers until cooked, add the ginger, garlic and sesame seeds. Add the cooked trout, soy and lemon juice. Cooked for a few minutes just to bring it all together and to reduce the soy sauce and lemon juice slightly.
Make the slurry, mixing the flour and water together.
Allow the mixture to slightly cool, and then roll the spring rolls. Put the spring roll pastry on a surface with a corner facing you. Place the flour paste along the edges of the opposite 2 sides. Place 50gr of mixture in the centre of the spring roll pastry and roll up folding in the 2 side corners as you go.
Deep fry just before serving.

Preparation of sweet chilli sauce

Makes about 150 ml

250 ml white wine vinegar
250 ml water
250 ml white sugar
10 gr red chillies, seeds removed and thinly sliced
14 gr garlic, grated
30 gr ginger, grated

Heat the vinegar, water and sugar together in a saucepan. Stirring all the time until all sugar crystals are dissolved. Add the chillies, garlic and ginger, and reduce until a syrup consistency is reached.
Serve chilled. Garnish with fresh coriander.

Photo by Karen Edward’s Photography
082 441 7429 / karene@bundunet.com
www.karenephotographysa.com / www.midlandsphotographers.wordpress.com

Trout stir fry with Chinese rice noodles

Courtesy Chef Jackie Cameron

Serves 4

Ingredients
45gr Monkey Nuts
25gr Butter
25ml Sunflower Oil
15ml Sesame Oil
100gr Onions, sliced
60gr Red or/and Yellow Peppers, sliced
10gr Garlic, grated
10gr Ginger, grated
50gr Carrots, peeled and sliced lengthways
160gr Baby Marrows, sliced lengthways
10ml Lemon Zest
30ml Fresh Mint, chopped

2 sides Raw Trout, seared in butter and roughly cut up (when cooked 220gr meat on average)
125gr Chinese Rice Noodles, cook as instructed

Preparation
Place the monkey nuts in the oven to slightly roast, set aside.
In a pan/wok heat the butter, sunflower oil and sesame oil.
Add the onions, peppers, garlic and ginger, sauté until cooked.
Add the carrots and baby marrows, cooking until al dente (firm to the bite).
Finish off with the lemon zest, mint and reserved monkey nuts.

Ingredients for sauce
12.5ml Kikkoman Soya Sauce
25ml freshly squeezed Lemon Juice
5ml White Wine Vinegar

Preparation for sauce
Mix all ingredients together.
Mix the sauce with the noodles and place into serving bowls, top with vegetables and the trout. Serve immediately

Photo by Karen Edward’s Photography
082 441 7429 / karene@bundunet.com
www.karenephotographysa.com / www.midlandsphotographers.wordpress.com

Smoked angelfish fishcakes with poached eggs and homemade tartare sauce

Courtesy Hayley Evers-King

A flexible, simple and quick dish for all the family. These delicious fish cakes can be jazzed up for a special starter/brunch or simply served with chips and vegetables/salad for a family dinner. Also works well with fresh hake or angelfish – poach the fish and flake it to replace the smoked fish used here. Kids may prefer fresh, poached fish rather than the stronger flavoured, smoked angelfish. However, smoked fish is a great ingredient to keep in the fridge on standby.

Serves 4

Ingredients
Fish: 300g smoked, 450g if fresh (poach in 300ml half milk, half water)
Potatoes: 500g/350g if using milder, fresh fish.
Zest of 1 lemon
1 tbsp chopped parsley
80g breadcrumbs
3-4 tbsp oil
1 large, free range egg
A little flour
Salt and pepper

4 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tsp capers, roughly chopped
1 tsp lemon and olive paste or squeeze of lemon juice

Preparation
Roughly shred the fish.
Boil the potatoes until soft, drain and mash (add a little butter/milk if you like a softer texture).
Mix parsley, lemon zest, salt and pepper through mash. Roughly mix fish in to the seasoned mash. Form into fishcakes, about 2.5cm thick using floured hands. Dip fishcakes into beaten egg and then coat in breadcrumbs.
Fry in medium hot oil for 5 minutes on each side.
To make the tartare-style sauce, simply mix the capers and lemon and olive paste or lemon juice in to the mayonnaise – season to taste.
Top each fishcake with a softly poached egg and the homemade tartare-style sauce.

Download the PDF for this recipe here.

Thai-inspired fish curry

Courtesy Hayley Evers-King

Thai food uses an array of fantastic, fresh flavours, distinct from any other cuisine. This curry takes advantage of the simple combination of flavours found in typical Thai coconut curries. You can add vegetables to this dish if you like – baby sweetcorn, mange tout, thinly sliced carrots added just before the fish, will make this a more substantial meal. Serve with basmati/jasmine rice.

Serves 4

Ingredients
2 large hake/angelfish fillets cut in half
2 cloves of garlic – finely chopped
1 tsp grated ginger/galangal if you prefer
400ml can of coconut milk
200ml water
1 tsp turmeric – ground will do or use 20g of fresh turmeric, grated, if you can find fresh
1 stick of lemon grass cut into 2 cm chunks
1-2 red chillies – chopped, use less if you prefer a milder spice
3 tbsp fish sauce
Juice of half a lime

To serve:
125g rice per person
Spring onions – roughly sliced
Fresh coriander – roughly chopped.

Method
Add a little coconut milk (2-3 tbsp) to a large pan and heat until it bubbles and forms an oil (a trick I was taught in Thailand!).
Turn the heat down a little and lightly fry the chopped garlic, ginger and chillies. Add the coconut milk and stir the ground turmeric through/add the turmeric chunks and lemon grass. If you want to add vegetables, add them now and cook for an extra minute or so to soften before you start the fish. Add the fish to the pan and simmer until cooked – about 8 minutes, be careful not to overcook the fish, hake especially can fall apart easily.
Once the fish is cooked, remove carefully and place in bowls. Add the fish sauce and lime juice to the coconut sauce and spoon this over the fish, carefully discarding any chunks of turmeric/lemon grass. Top with spring onions and coriander and serve with basmati/jasmine rice.

Download the PDF for this recipe here.

Thai-style mussels

Courtesy Chef Brad Ball

Ingredients
800 g fresh, cleaned black mussels
Fresh ginger, 1 tablespoon
Red onion, 1 tablespoon
Red chilli, depending on taste
Juice of one lime
Fish Sauce, 2 tablespoons
Coconut milk, 100 ml
Spring onion, 1 tablespoon, slice on the bias
Fresh coriander
Dry white wine

Preparation
In a large sauce pan on a high heat bring some oil to temperature. Add the onion and ginger and sauté for a minute.
Add the mussels followed by the white wine and place a lid on the pan to steam the mussels until they open. About seven minutes or so.
Remove the lid; add the fish sauce and the lime juice and some of the chilli.
Carefully plate the mussels onto a platter or bowl and garnish with the coriander, spring onions and more chilli.

Yellowtail on the braai

Courtesy SASSI Braai Ambassador John Grundlingh

Ingredients
1 x whole yellow tail filleted into 250 gram blocks with skin on
Salt
Black pepper
Olive oil
Lemon grass
250 g butter
2 x lemons
100 ml white wine
Tin foil

Preparation
Fillet whole yellowtail and cut into neat 250 g servings. Keep the skin on!
Rub the fish fillets with salt, pepper and olive oil to taste.
When coals are ready and you can keep your hand over coals for 6 seconds put then down on skin side for 3 min to get skin crispy. Take off grid and place each individual fillet in tinfoil pocket with a slice of lemon and a dash of white wine, finely chopped lemon grass and half teaspoon of butter.
Close off tinfoil on top and place back on grid for approximately another 5 min to steam it in its juices.
Take off and place on plate with foil to keep fish hot and to keep those juices in.
Serve with salsa and eat with hands!

Zuppa di pesci

Courtesy Brad Ball

This a great soup for summer or winter and lends itself well to fresh line fish and a few other green listed crustaceans. Serve it with fully loaded garlic bread.

Ingredients for soup base
2 medium red onions, sliced
3 inside celery ribs, sliced
5 garlic cloves, bruised to release aroma
Handful of dill herb, chopped
1 chilli, medium heat, seeds removed
2 sprigs parsley
2 sprigs thyme
4 tablespoons browned flour
350 ml Sauvignon Blanc
2 tins whole peeled tomatoes, crushed
1.4 L fish stock
70 ml fish sauce

Preparation
Place onions, celery, garlic, dill, chillies, parsley and thyme into a large pot with enough oil and sauté until soft, but no colour. Add the white wine and reduce until almost gone. Add the flour and cook out for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes fish sauce and fish stock. Bring up to the boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes with a lid on.
Remove from the heat and allow to stand for 1 hour.
Pass through a sieve, crushing the veg to extract flavour. Keep until necessary.

Ingredients for finishing
400 g green listed line fish. Gurnard, angelfish or yellowtail. Cut into 2cm pieces
8 tiger prawns, shelled
12 black mussels, cleaned
150 g calamari strips/rings

Preparation
Place required amount of soup in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Add the fish and prawns. Once half cooked, add the mussels and squid.
Finish with spring onions and tarragon or dill.

Trout quiche

Courtesy Chef Jackie Cameron

Makes two medium-sized quiches

Ingredients
4whole Eggs, beaten
¾ cup Cream
¾ cup Milk
45ml Fennel, chopped

35gr Butter
280gr Onions, chopped
105gr Carrots, chopped
35ml Gherkins, chopped
42ml Capers, chopped
45ml Fennel, chopped
350gr cooked Trout, shredded
Salt and Pepper

Preparation
Make the custard by whisking the eggs, cream, milk and fennel together. Set aside.
In a pan heat the butter, add the onions and carrots, sauté.
When cooked place in a large mixing bowl, add the gherkins, capers, fennel and trout. Mix well.
Add the custard, and taste for seasoning.
Cover and set aside.

Ingredients for pastry
180gr Mashed Potatoes
330g Cake Flour
157.5gr Butter, chilled and cubed
2 whole Eggs
15ml Cold Water
50ml Fennel, chopped

Extras
1 Egg Yolk
40gr Parmesan/ Pecorino, grated

Preparation for pastry
In a large bowl combine the mashed potatoes and flour
Using your finger tips work in the butter, not over working the pastry
Whisk the eggs, water and fennel together
Make a well, pour in the liquid and cut the liquid within the flour to form a dough. Bring together
Wrap the pastry and place in the fridge to rest for at least 2hours
Line the quiche tin and prick with a fork
Place back into the fridge and allow to rest
Blind bake at 180°C for 15minutes then turn down the heat to 160°C, remove the beans/rice, seal with the extra egg yolk. Place back into the oven for 10minutes
Place the filling inside the base, top with the grated cheese and bake for 30 minutes at a 160°C or until cooked.

Photo by Karen Edward’s Photography
082 441 7429 / karene@bundunet.com
www.karenephotographysa.com / www.midlandsphotographers.wordpress.com

Trout cottage pie

Courtesy Chef Jackie Cameron

Ingredients
10gr Butter
10gr Sunflower Oil
5gr Garlic, grated
120gr Onions, chopped
25gr Celery, chopped
65gr Carrots, chopped
75gr Peas
1 (75gr) Tomatoes, skinned and chopped
2sprigs Rosemary, chopped
400gr raw Trout, chopped

60ml Butter, salted
60ml Cake Flour
400ml Milk
50gr Cheddar Cheese, grated
Salt and Pepper

Preparation
In a pot, heat the butter and sunflower oil.
Place the garlic and onions inside and sauté.
Add the celery, carrots, peas and tomatoes and cook well.
Add the rosemary and trout, fry until trout is cooked. Keep aside.
In a small saucepan, melt the butter, whisk in the flour and cook for a few minutes.
Whisk the milk, bring to boil and allow thickening, continue with adding the cheese.
Then add the cheese sauce to the trout mixture and check seasoning.
Place the filling inside an oven dish. Leave in the fridge for a few minutes to firm up.

Ingredients for mashed potatoes
1200gr Potatoes, whole
250ml Cream
150gr Butter
Salt and Pepper

Preparation for mashed potatoes
Place the potatoes in a large pot of cold water and cook.
When cooked push through a sieve, keep aside.
In a sauce pan, heat the cream and butter, when reduced and looks as though the mixture is splitting add the mashed potatoes.
Season well and place in a piping bag with a big plain nozzle.
Pipe the mash on top of the filling.
Bake in the oven at 180°C for about 15minutes or until golden on top.

Mussels with lime-ginger-chile cream sauce

Courtesy of 2016 SASSI Trailblazer winner Andrea Burgener

Serves 8

The Mussels

The mussels served in most restaurants are the horrible, tough and granular half-shell frozen kind. And what’s sad is that we now think that’s how a mussel should be. The difference is like night and day: fresh mussels, when properly (that means briefly) cooked, are truly silken, and taste of the sea in the best possible way. The frozen ones have no place in your kitchen or your mouth, so shun them. Ask a good fishmonger to source you the fresh ones; some of them will comply.

Count on about twelve mussels per person. Scrub and wash the shells, pull the beard out (as much as possible), then plunge into boiling water just until the nano-second they open, removing them individually as they do. You want them slightly undercooked.

You can prepare the mussels this far a couple of hours ahead, and leave covered in the fridge. When ready to eat, plonk them into the sauce below, and heat through just until hot, no longer.

The Sauce

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons slivered ginger
2 teaspoons slivered garlic
1 teaspoon lime rind (or lemon if limes are not about)
1 litre cream
400ml white wine – preferably not a Sauvignon Blanc
1 teaspoon chopped red chile
250ml water
½ teaspoon turmeric
Salt & sugar to balance / taste
Slivered spring onion
Optional but nice: slivered vegetables and/or baby tomatoes

 Preparation

Heat the oil and fry the garlic, chile, lime or lemon rind and ginger for two minutes.

Add wine and bring to the boil. Turn the heat to low and simmer for about twenty minutes, uncovered. Add cream and water and put on a low simmer for about ten minutes. Add turmeric, salt and sugar to balance, plus more chile if necessary. The sauce should be very pungent, and intense in all directions: strongly spicey-hot, sharp, sweet (but not too) and creamy. Adjust if necessary

The sauce is also very good with white-fish such as hake. Just cook fillets in the sauce on a low simmer.

Avocado Gazpacho with cured trout, dill crème fraiche and trout tartar

Courtesy of 2016 SASSI Trailblazer winner Chef Carl van Rooyen

Serves 4-6 people

Avocado Gazpacho

• Large cucumbers x 2 – cut into pieces
• Green peppers x 2 – cut into pieces
• Ripe plum tomatoes x 2each – cut into pieces
• Onion x ½ – diced
• Ripe avocados x 2 – cut into pieces and tossed in lemon juice
• Juice of one lemon – grate the zest of and keep aside
• Juice of two limes – grate the zest of and keep aside
• Extra virgin olive oil x 12.5ml
• Rock salt and white pepper ( ground freshly)
• Basil – 10g
• Crème fraiche x 50g (Greek yogurt can be used as well)
• ½ teaspoon honey
• Garlic x 1/2 small clove – crushed
• Dill x 5g – chopped

Method

For the soup

• Blend cucumber, green peppers, plum tomatoes , onion and basil in a blender until very fine
• Pass through a fine sieve and discard what is left behind.
• Rinse the blender and return the soup, blend in the avocadoes, lemon juice, lime juice and olive oil until smooth. Adjust consistency with a little cold water if needed.
• Season with salt and pepper as needed.
• Chill in the freezer before serving

For the dill crème fraiche

• Mix the crème fraiche, dill, garlic, honey, lemon and lime zest together
• Season as needed

Cured trout

200g Salmon (skin on and pin boned)
50g Salt
100g Sugar, soft brown
5g Ginger
1 Orange zested
1 Lemon zested
2 Lime zested
1Tbs Peppercorns
5g Fresh Thyme
1/4Tbs Coriander seeds (toasted)
5g Fresh Mint
5g Fresh Coriander

Method

1. Blend ginger, citrus zest, herbs and spices to make a rough paste.
2. In a bowl, mix with the salt and sugar.
3. Place trout, skin side down in a large tray.
4. Cover evenly with the salt mix
5. Cover and refrigerate for 4hrs
6. Remove fish from the salt and rinse excess salt off, patting the fish dry.

Tartare

1 tsp Gherkins finely chopped
2 tsp Red onion super finely chopped
1 tsp Parsley finely chopped
10ml Japanese mayo
Zest of 1/4 lime finely chopped
½ tsp Capers finely chopped
Lime juice to taste
100g of trout cut into very small cubes

Preapartions

1. Mix all the ingredients together and season to taste

To serve

• Slice the cured trout as thinly as possible and make small roses out if it
• Quenelle the trout tartar
• Chill the bowls that are going to be used in the freezer beforehand
• Pour 250ml of gazpacho into the chilled bowls
• Place the cured trout, trout tartar and crème fraiche gently on top of the soup and garnish with dill

Pan Seared Franschhoek Trout with Wasabi Mash, Seasonal Vegetables and a Burnt Sage Butter

Courtesy of 2016 SASSI Trailblazer winner – Chef Claire Blinkhorn-Street

Serves 4

photo taken by Karen Boland

Ingredients

4 x 180g Trout
50ml Canola Oil
320g Potatoes
40g Butter
200ml Milk
5g Wasabi Paste
Salt
Pepper
4 Baby Chinese Cabbages
4 Patty Pans
4 Baby Carrots
240g Butter
10g Sage

For the Mash:

Place the potatoes into a medium sized pot with a pinch of salt and cover with water. Bring to the boil and cook until soft. Next peel the potatoes and mash while still warm. Place the mashed potato with the wasabi, 40g butter and milk, place over a medium heat and mix until combined. Do not over mix. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

 For the Seasonal Vegetables

Bring a small pot of water to the boil. Place the carrots and patty pans into the water and cook until just tender. Remove from the water. Next cut the patty pan in half vertically, place the 8 halves into a pan along with the carrots over a medium heat with half a teaspoon butter and heat quickly. Season and set aside. For the baby cabbages, place a pan over a high heat. Remove the outside leaves of the cabbage and split the centre. Place the centre as well as the outside leaves into the pan and add 2 tablespoons of water. Cook until the leaves are tender and remove from the pan, allow the centres of the cabbage to cook until soft. Drain the water and place the pan back on to the heat. Sear off the cabbage on the flat side. Set aside.

For the Sauce

Place the 240g butter into a pot and melt. Remove the pot from the heat and add the sage leaves. Return the pot to the heat and cook until the butter changes to a golden colour.

For the Fish

Place a frying pan over a medium heat. When the pan has heated slightly, add the oil. Season the skin of the trout with salt and pepper, place skin side down into the hot pan. Cook until the fish moves away from the pan without the skin sticking. Remove the pan from the heat. Next place the trout skin side to the top into an oven tray and place at 180°C and cook until the flesh of the trou begins to flake.

Serve immediately.

Curried Mussels

Courtesy of 2016 SASSI Trailblazer winner – Leon Coetzee

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
2 shallots, minced
½ cup fairly sweet white wine
2kg mussels, trimmed of their beards and well washed
½ cup crème fraîche or sour cream
1 teaspoon All-Purpose Curry Powder or commercial curry powder, or to taste
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Preparation

1. Place the butter in a saucepan large enough to contain the mussels and turn the heat to medium. When the butter melts, add the shallots and cook, stir­ring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes.
2. Add the white wine and the mussels, increase the heat to high, and cover. Cook, shaking the pan occasionally, just until the mussels open, about 10 minutes.
3. Remove the mussels with a slotted spoon or strainer. Strain the liquid into a bowl; wipe out the pan, then return the liquid to the pan. Bring to a boil and then stir in the crème fraîche or sour cream and about 1 teaspoon of curry powder.
4. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the lemon juice; cook for about 3 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary, but don’t add so much curry that it overpowers the other flavours. Return the mussels to the pot and stir to reheat. Serve, spooning the broth over the mussels. Serve with steamed basmati rice with coriander on top.