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There are few
places in New Zealand where some sort of fishing is not available. Anyone
who rally enjoys fresh fish can throw out a line - off bridges, off surf-washed
rocky headlands, off a boat, however small, off the blank of the nearest
river stream
memories of early-morning
expeditions to bring home a few trout for breakfast. heading off to the
favourite fishing spots, a day by the river finishing with a meal of fresh-caught
trout, wrapped in dock leaves, a nut of butter and some mint from the riverbank
tucked inside, baking beside blackening potatoes in the embers of the dying
fire.
Snapper
in savoury tomato sauce
2 Tablespoons Oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 Tablespoon chopped celery leaves
1 Tablespoon chopped parsley
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped.
500g peeled and chopped tomatoes
1 Tablespoon tomato paste
75 mls white wine
freshly ground pepper
1 kg filleted snapper, or other white
fish
( or 500 g white fish and 500g mixed
mussels, shrimps, sliced baby octopus, etc) parsley and lemon wedges to
garnish
warm the oil in a wide heavy pan. Soften
the chopped onion in it, then add the celery, parsley, and garlic. Cook
a minute, then add tomatoes and tomato paste. Simmer until the tomatoes
are reduced to a thick sauce.
Add the wine and plenty of black pepper.
simmer to reduce again. Into this put the prepared fish. Simmer gently
until just cooked. If using mixed fish and shellfish, stir the fish into
the sauce and place the shellfish on top till cooked.
Serve with chopped parsley and a wedge
of lemon.
serves 4
back to top
Blue
Cod in Banana and Gherkin Sauce
4 cod fillets
1 large banana
8 gherkins
large onion
(finely chopped)
2 tablespoons
thyme (chopped)
100g butter
100ml wine
2 cups fresh
bread crumbs
Seasoned flour
Egg and milk
Method
To make the sauce bring the wine to boil with onion, gherkin and thyme. Add the soft butter, whisking always.
Cut cod into
3 even sized pieces per fillet egg and crumb. Slice banana into 8 with
the skin on. Cook the fish in oil and butter until
golden brown,
remove from pan and allow to rest.Pour off the oil and with the pan back
on the heat, grill the bananas on both
sides.
Serve the fish and banana atop the sauce.
Serves 4
2 dozen ½
shell mussels
2 tablespoons
honey
2 oranges (cut
into segments - reserve the juice)
4 tablespoons
olive oil
1 tablespoon
chopped thyme
Method
Thaw mussels. (Or steam 2 dozen fresh mussels and remove top shell).
Mix honey, orange juice, oil and thyme together and pour over mussels. Leave to marinate at least 10 minutes.
On a barbeque or in a heavy pan, cook mussels (shell side up) until golden brown.
Garnish with orange segments.
Serves 4
2 dozen marinated mussels
Mayonnaise:
3 egg yolks
Juice of 1 Orange
50 ml orange
vinegar
500 ml grapeseed
oil
500 ml soy oil
Salt and pepper
Salad stuffing:
¼ cucumber
6 gherkins
1 small onion
(finely chopped)
2 to 3 parsley
sprigs
a few garlic
cloves
Method
In a food processor
pour the vinegar, and juice onto the yolks and blend on high 1 minute.
Then slowly drizzle the oil in until
mulsified. Season
with salt and pepper.
Combine the salad stuffing ingredients in a food processor on high for 30 seconds:
Slit and fill each mussel with a little of the salad stuffing then arrange on 4 plates and drizzle with mayonnaise.
Serves 4
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Groper
Steak Barbequed in Queen Scallop Cream
4 groper steaks
4 tablespoons
olive oil
1 tablespoon
rosemary (chopped)
16 queen scallops
(sliced)
50g butter
1 medium size
red onion (chopped)
1 lemon
1 tablespoon
lime juice
200ml cream
100ml wine
Method
Marinate the steaks with olive oil and lime juice for at least 15 minutes.
Next on a barbeque
or a very hot dry pan, cook the steaks for 2 to 3 minutes each side then
rest in a warm place for 4 to 5
minutes.
Queen scallop cream:
In 50g of butter sauté the sliced scallops for 1 minute then remove from the pan. Add in the onion and wine and reduce to 50 ml.
Then add the
cream, 2 tablespoons of lime juice and the juice of 1 lemon, bring to the
boil and when the consistency is right, add
the scallops
back to the sauce and serve over the groper steak.
Serves 4
16 Scallops
The juice of
six Limes
Tabasco Sauce
1 table spoon
olive oil
Cracked pepper
10 strawberries
(hulled and halved)
Fresh chervil
Mayonnaise: (basic recipe)
3 egg yolks
50ml vinegar
500 ml oil
Salt and pepper
Method
Toss the strawberries
with oil and cracked pepper to lightly coat. Slice the scallops each into
three and lay on an earthenware
dish. Squeeze
over the lime juice and leave to marinate for 5 minutes.
Arrange 4 scallops per plate with 5 halves of the strawberries.
Splash with tabasco.Sprinkle with clopped chervil and garnish with a sprig.
A mayonnaise dressing with tabasco could also be drizzled over the finished dish.
Mayonnaise
In a food processor
pour the vinegar onto the yolks and blend on high 1 minute. Then slowly
drizzle the oil in until mulsified.
Season with salt and pepper.
The types of
vinegars and oils used can be altered to suit the flavours and dishes required.
Other seasonings, eg; herbs, citrus
juices and spices,
can be added.
Serves 4
2 dozen queen
scallops
12 black olives
(stoned and halved)
2 table spoon
capers
1 bunch watercress
2 slices white
bread
100g butter
juice of 1 lime
1 table spoon
olive oil
Method
Remove crusts from bread and cut into quarter squares.
Cook these in 50g of butter until crisp and brown, then drain.
Reserve 8 nice tips of cress for the garnish and rip the rest into a large bowl. To this add the olives, capers and bread.
In 50g of butter cook the queen scallops lightly and toss into the salad with the lime juice and oil.
Divide onto four plates.
Serves 4
back to top
Whitebait
Fritters
a small fish. about 2" long.
125g (4ozs) Flour
1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 Egg 1/2 Cup
Milk (approx)
125g (4ozs)
Whitebait Salt and Pepper to taste
Mix dry ingredients
together; add egg and enough milk to make a smooth batter. Add washed and
dried whitebait
just before
frying. Fry spoonfuls in smoking hot fat. Drain on brown paper and serve
garnished with parsley.
