Ingredients
| BRINE | |
| 500ml water | |
| 1 tablespoon sugar | |
| 1 tablespoon salt | |
| 1 tablespoon brown sugar | |
| 1 tablespoon honey | |
| 1 garlic clove, peeled, crushed | |
| 1 teaspoon peppercorns | |
| 1 teaspoon mustard seeds | |
| 6 cloves | |
| 1 bay leaf | |
| ½ cinnamon quill | |
| COFFEE CURE | |
| 1 tablespoon black peppercorns | |
| 1 tablespoon coriander seeds | |
| 1 tablespoon ground coffee | |
| KINGFISH | |
| 450g fillet kingfish, skinless, boneless | |
| ½ cup toasted hazelnuts | |
| PICKLED POTATO | |
| 100ml vinegar | |
| 200ml water | |
| 80g sugar | |
| 1 potato, peeled | |
| LEMON MAYONNAISE | |
| 3 tablespoons preserved lemon peel | |
| 1 cup mayonnaise | |
| 2 tablespoons lemon juice | |
| TO SERVE | |
| pickled potato | |
| lemon mayonnaise |
Kingfish takes well to curing as the firm flesh absorbs flavour slowly and evenly and the natural sweetness of the fish deepens rather than disappears. Coffee might sound unconventional, but it adds warmth, earthiness and a touch of bitterness that balances the richness of the fish. Slice it cold, thin and deliberately. You will need 1 untreated cedar plank, about 30cm long, soaked in cold water for a minimum of 2 hours.
Instructions
| 1. | BRINE |
| 2. | Bring everything to the boil in a small saucepan, remove from the heat and allow it to cool. |
| 3. | COFFEE CURE |
| 4. | Blitz everything in a spice grinder to a coarse rubble. |
| 5. | KINGFISH |
| 6. | Submerge the kingfish in the cooled brine for 2 hours. Lift it out and pat it dry. |
| 7. | Heat a lidded barbecue – you want a gentle-medium warmth rather than the fury of high heat. |
| 8. | Lay the soaked cedar plank on the grill for 2-3 minutes until it begins to smoulder and smell incredible. |
| 9. | Put the fish onto the plank, close the lid and smoke for 6-8 minutes. You’re not cooking it through; you’re simply inviting the smoke to settle in. |
| 10. | Remove the plank carefully; it will be hot. Remove the fish from the plank and allow to cool. |
| 11. | Dust the fish generously with the coffee cure, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours. |
| 12. | When ready to serve, use your sharpest knife to slice the cured kingfish thinly and fan it across a platter. |
| 13. | Spoon over the lemon mayonnaise, allowing it to fall and pool gently. |
| 14. | Scatter the pickled potato and toasted hazelnuts for crunch and contrast. |
| 15. | PICKLED POTATO |
| 16. | Combine the vinegar, water and sugar to make a light pickling liquid. |
| 17. | Cut the potato into neat 1cm cubes or use a melon-baller to make smooth little pearls. |
| 18. | Cook briefly in salted boiling water, drain, then place the warm potato straight into the cold pickle. |
| 19. | Leave for an hour. |
| 20. | LEMON MAYONNAISE |
| 21. | Rinse the preserved lemon to remove its intensity, then finely dice the peel. |
| 22. | Fold it through the mayonnaise with the lemon juice. |
| 23. | Taste and adjust the seasoning. |
Food and recipe styling Martin Bosley / Photography Amber-Jayne Bain