Main Meals

Pickled fish with banana and litchi raita

4 to 6
Medium
30 minutes
40 minutes
Wine/Spirit Pairing
Paul Cluver Gewürtztraminer 2011

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Ingredients

Method
  • 1 kg any sustainable firm white fish, filleted
  • 2 large onions
  • Vegetable oil, for frying
  • 2 1⁄2 t finely chopped garlic
  • 1 t ginger, finely chopped
  • 2 T masala
  • 2 t ground cumin
  • 2 t ground coriander
  • 1 t turmeric
  • 3 T apricot jam
  • 1 1⁄2 t salt
  • 1⁄2 t freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup white grape vinegar
  • 1 1⁄2 cup water
  • 100 g brown sugar
  • 8 peppercorns
  • 4 whole cloves
  • 2 bay leaves
  • Chutney, for serving
  • Bread, for serving
  • For the banana and litchi raita, mix:

  • 2 small bananas, peeled and diced
  • 4 litchis, peeled
  • 1 cup plain yoghurt
  • 1 T lemon juice
  • 1⁄2 t salt
  • 1⁄2 t sugar or honey
  • a handful grapes, halved
  • 2 fresh mint sprigs, finely chopped

Method

Ingredients

Skin and debone the fish.

Peel the onions and slice into rings. Fry in a little oil in a medium-sized saucepan until soft. Add the garlic, ginger, masala, cumin, coriander and turmeric and cook for a further 2 minutes.

Add the apricot jam, salt, pepper, vinegar, water and brown sugar. Tie the peppercorns, cloves and bay leaves in a muslin cloth and submerge in the mixture. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, then remove from the heat.

Fry the fish fillets in a little oil until just cooked through, keeping them whole.

Place the fish in a plastic or ceramic dish. Remove the muslin bag from the pickling mixture and pour the latter over the fish. Refrigerate uncovered until cool, then cover with a tight-fitting lid or foil until ready to serve. Pickle for at least 3 hours.

Remove the fish from the fridge 30 minutes before serving to bring to room temperature.

Cook's note: In the past, fish and a variety of vegetables were pickled as a way of preserving them. In my modern version, the piquant blend of sweet and spicy flavours contrasts well with the coolness of yoghurt and sweetness of the salad. I like to serve this dish at room temperature and pickle the fish for only a few hours before serving: this way it’s still tender. The fish will become firmer the longer it is pickled.

Discover more Easter recipes here.

First published in TASTE issue 71, April 2012.

Markus Farbinger and Liezie Mulder

Recipe by: Markus Farbinger and Liezie Mulder

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