Ingredients
| EGGPLANT & WALNUT SALSA | |
| olive oil | |
| 2 eggplants, cut into 1-2cm cubes | |
| 1 chilli, seeded and finely chopped | |
| ½ cup toasted walnuts, roughly chopped (or use toasted almonds) | |
| 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar | |
| 1 small handful coriander leaves, finely chopped | |
| 1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (optional) | |
| SLAW | |
| zest and juice of ½ lemon | |
| 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar | |
| ½ teaspoon caraway seeds | |
| 2 tablespoons tahini | |
| ½ savoy cabbage (approx. 350g), or use a green or red cabbage instead, thinly shredded | |
| ½ teaspoon sea salt | |
| BARBECUED FISH | |
| 4 skin-on kahawai fillets or use another oily fish such as mackerel or grey mullet | |
| 2 teaspoons ground cumin | |
| 1 teaspoon ground cardamom | |
| 1 teaspoon sumac | |
| 1 teaspoon fine sea salt | |
| 2 tablespoons tahini | |
| ½ cup thick Greek-style yoghurt | |
| lemon juice, to taste | |
| oil, for barbecuing or frying | |
| flatbreads, to serve |
Oily fish such as kahawai, grey mullet and mackerel are capable of holding their own with strongly flavoured spices. They are underrated and make for great eating. I usually get whole fish from a seafood market; most places will scale and fillet them for you without any added cost. Make sure to keep the skin on as it makes cooking the fish a breeze and, yes, I do think it’s delicious to eat.
While I’ve made this to serve four generously, it also adapts well as a snack for a large group. Use small flatbreads, corn or flour tortillas, or even tostadas. Cut the fish into bite-sized pieces, have all the components cooked and ready in bowls and get everyone to build their own.
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Instructions
| 1. | EGGPLANT & WALNUT SALSA |
| 2. | Heat 3-4 tablespoons olive oil in a frying pan, add the eggplant, sprinkle with some salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and soft (about 5-6 minutes). Do this in batches if need be and add extra oil as required. |
| 3. | Put into a bowl with the chilli, walnuts, vinegar and coriander. |
| 4. | Season with salt to taste and, if necessary, add a little extra virgin olive oil to loosen. |
| 5. | Set aside for 15 minutes to allow the flavours to mingle before using. |
| 6. | SLAW |
| 7. | In a large bowl, combine the lemon zest and juice, white wine vinegar, caraway seeds and tahini. |
| 8. | Add the cabbage to the bowl along with the salt and massage gently for a few minutes to soften the cabbage and blend it with the dressing. Set aside. |
| 9. | BARBECUED FISH |
| 10. | Cut the fillets down the middle, removing any of the finer bones. Thoroughly pat dry the skin of the fish pieces. |
| 11. | Combine the cumin, cardamom, sumac and sea salt and rub over the flesh of the fish. |
| 12. | Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes. Bring out of the fridge at least 20 minutes before you plan on cooking. |
| 13. | Put the tahini in a bowl with the yoghurt and combine. |
| 14. | Add enough water to make the sauce a drizzling consistency, then taste and season with salt. |
| 15. | Add a little lemon juice if you think it needs a little more acidity. |
| 16. | Heat a barbecue flat plate to a medium heat and lightly oil the surface (or use a frying pan with a little oil ). |
| 17. | Grill the fish fillets skin-side down for 3-4 minutes; if the skin is sticking then leave for another minute or so until it is ready to turn. |
| 18. | Flip over to finish cooking for 1-2 minutes. |
| 19. | Quickly heat the flatbreads on the barbecue and keep warm, stacked in a clean tea towel. |
| 20. | To serve, put some slaw on each flatbread, add fish and eggplant salsa and drizzle with tahini yoghurt. |
| 21. | VEGETARIAN AND VEGAN OPTIONS |
| 22. | Replace the fish with haloumi or firm tofu, cover with the same spices and proceed as for the recipe. |
| 23. | Use coconut yoghurt if preferred. |
Recipes & food styling Ginny Grant / Photography Aaron McLean / Styling Fiona Lascelles