Ingredients:

1 french baquette

150 g can of tuna in olive oil

1/2 cup cooked white beans in brine

1/2 cup cooked brown beans in brine

1/2 cup steamed sliced carrots

1/2 cup chopped green olives

1 Lebanese cucumber sliced

1 punnet cherries tomatoes

100 g feta cheese cubed

salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

lemon slices and basil leaves for garnish

Method:

Cut bread into slices and slightly roast in the pan.

Mix together tuna chunks (with oil from the can), beans, carrots and olives into salad.

Assemble on the bread slices sliced cucumbers, top with tuna mix. Put on top tomatoes, feta cubes and season with salt and pepper.

Garnish with lemon slices and basil leaves.

Ingredients:

3 dried whole red chillies

1 tablespoon cumin

2 teaspoon coriander seeds

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

2 teaspoon ground turmeric

3 garlic cloves

3cm piece ginger

2 tablespoons white vinegar

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 onion, thinly sliced

1 ripe tomato, chopped

1 large green chillies, seeded and sliced thinly

440g can coconut milk

salt to taste

800g fillets flat head, halved

Method:

Using a spice grinder blend chillies, cumin, coriander, mustard seeds and turmeric to a fine powder. In a pestle and mortar crush garlic and ginger to a fine paste. Add spice powder and incorporate well into the ginger paste. Mix in vinegar.In a large deep frying pan heat oil. Add onion and fry until slightly coloured. Add spice paste and fry for 3 minutes until fragrant. Add tomato and chilli and cook for 10 minutes or until tomato breaks down. Add coconut milk, season with salt and then add fish fillets. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes, turn fish over and simmer for remaining 5 minutes or until fish is cooked as desired, this will vary with size of fillet used. Serve with basmati rice

Note: As Goan version might be hot to someone’s taste, make it milder by halving the amount of spices/chillies.

Ingredients:

(serves 4)

1 teaspoon olive oil

4 x 200g white fish fillets

2 cups frozen peas

¼ cup basil leaves

1 tablespoon butter

Lemon wedges to serve

Method:

Heat a non-stick frypan over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and fry fish fillets until golden brown on each side and cooked through. The pieces I used were 2.5cm thick and required about 5 minutes each side.

While the fish is cooking, bring a saucepan of water to the boil, add the peas and cook for 2 minutes –they should still be bright green. Drain the peas, add the basil leaves and use a stab mixer to puree. Stir the butter into the peas, then cover until ready to serve.

Spoon some pea mash onto a plate, top with fish and some lemon, serve immediately.

Note: If the fish still has the skin on, cook that side last until it is quite crisp. The crispy skin is then easy to remove with a spatula or leave on and serve crispy side up.

Depending on your tastes, you may like to add some salt and pepper to the pea mash.

Ingredients:

(serves 4)

* 1 bunch coriander, washed, dried, ends trimmed

* 3 garlic cloves, peeled

* 2 tsp ground cumin

* Pinch of chilli powder

* 2 tsp finely grated lemon rind

* 60ml (1/4 cup) fresh lemon juice

* 80ml (1/3 cup) olive oil

* 2 tsp sweet paprika

* 190g (1 cup) couscous

* 250ml (1 cup) boiling water

* 50g (1/3 cup) plain flour

* 4 (about 700g) firm white fish fillets (such as snapper)

* Olive oil spray

* 90g baby spinach leaves

Method:

1. Place the coriander, garlic, cumin, chilli, lemon rind, lemon juice, oil and half the paprika in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth.

2. Place couscous in a heatproof bowl. Pour over the boiling water and set aside for 5 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Use a fork to separate grains.

3. Meanwhile, combine the flour and remaining paprika on a plate. Season with salt and pepper. Add the fish and turn to coat. Shake off excess. Spray a large non-stick frying pan with olive oil spray and place over medium heat. Add the fish and cook for 3-4 minutes each side or until golden brown.

4. Place the spinach on a serving platter. Top with the fish and drizzle over the coriander mixture. Serve with couscous.

Note: More options-

* Marinated Moroccan fish: Reduce paprika to 1 teaspoon. Omit flour. Add 1/3 cup fresh mint leaves and 1 small red onion, peeled, chopped, in step 1. Place the fish in a glass dish. Add the coriander mixture and turn to coat. Cover and place in the fridge for 2 hours to marinate. Continue from step 2.

* Moroccan fish rolls in tomato sauce: Replace the white fish fillets with skinless white fish fillets. Reduce oil to 60ml (1/4 cup). Spread 1 side of the fish with coriander mixture. Roll up to enclose filling. Use toothpicks to secure. Combine 1 x 700g btl tomato pasta sauce and 60ml (1/4 cup) water in a frying pan over medium heat. Add fish and cook, covered, for 3-4 minutes each side or until cooked through.

* Moroccan fish cakes with sweet chilli sauce: Reduce oil to 1 tablespoon. Chop the fish and add to the food processor in step 1 with 40g (1/4 cup) plain flour and 1 egg. Process until just smooth. Spray a frying pan with olive oil spray and place over medium heat. Spoon four 1-tablespoonful quantities of fish mixture into the pan and use the back of a spoon to flatten. Cook for 2-3 minutes each side or until golden. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel. Repeat with remaining fish mixture. Serve with sweet chilli sauce.

Ingredients:

* 600 grams (4×150) salmon fillets, skin removed

* 4 slices ginger, thinly sliced

* 1 stalk lemongrass, thinly sliced

* 3 spring onions, sliced

* 1 red capsicum, thinly sliced

* 1 carrot, cut into thin strips

* 1 teaspoon sesame oil

* 3 tablespoons lime juice

* 2 tablespoons Thai Sweet Chilli Sauce

* 1 tablespoon Fish Sauce

* 500 grams baby bok choy, halved

* fresh corriander leaves, to serve

Method:

Cut four x 30-cm squares of aluminium foil.

Place fish on the centre of the foil, top with ginger and lemongrass and finely sliced vegetables.

Place sesame oil, lime juice, chilli sauce and fish sauce in a jug and whisk to combine. Fold up the edges of the foil so none of the liquid can flow away and then carefully pour the sauce over the fish.

Loosely seal the fish in foil, then place in a large bamboo steamer over a wok of simmering water (making sure the base of the steamer does not come into contact with the water).

Cover the steamer and cook fish in foil for 10–15 minutes or until nearly cooked through.

Place the bok choy in a separate steamer on top of the fish and cook, covered, for 5 minutes or until tender.

Serve the fish parcels on top of the steamed bok choy, garnished with coriander. Serve with steamed jasmine rice.

Ingredients:

* 1 big bunch green onions or two small bunches.

* 0-10 hot fresh chilies. You can use as many or as few as suites your palate. As this dish is tropically inspired, the chilies work well here though. Use habaneros or scotch bonnets if you can get them, but one should probably be enough!

* Juice of 1 lime

* 1/2 tsp or more salt

* 1/4tsp dried thyme or 1 tsps fresh thyme.

* 1 clove of garlic

* 4 good sized white fish fillets (use whatever is fresh and great, Atlantic cod, tilapia, sea bass, haddock, whatever!)

* A bit of flour for dredging

Method:

1. Add all the ingredients to a blender (except the fish!) and puree until smooth. Taste for saltiness and add more salt if needed. It should be both a little bit salty and sour, as these tastes are going to compliment the mild flavor of any white fish fillet.

2. Sprinkle a bit of salt on the fillets and coat in flour. This is just to get a dry surface for the herb paste to adhere to, so shake off all the excess.

3. Smear the herb paste all over the fish; get as much on as you can. Gently cover the herbed fish with more flour, covering the herbs completely in flour.

4. Heat up a good non stick fry pan over medium with a couple generous spoonfuls of vegetable oil, and when hot, gently add your fish fillets. The frying time will depend on the thickness of the fish; an inch of fish will take about 3 minutes per side.

Note: This is a tropical inspired herb crust that will taste great with almost any fish. You can adjust the acidity in the herb crust to match the oiliness of the fish. The directions given here are for any mild white fish, but if you want to use it on an oilier fish like a mackerel or salmon, just increase the lime juice a little bit.

Serve with lime wedges and with any tropical chutneys or sauces or fruit salsas. This goes well with Caribbean rice and peas, but really will go well with any simply prepared vegetable sides. Try buttery new potatoes, corn on the cob and a mango salsa!

The spicy/sour/herby flavor of these fillets will have even people who swear they don’t like fish raving.

Ingredients:

* 4 trout fillets

* 1/2 teaspoon salt

* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

* 2 tbs flour

* 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided

* Cooking spray

* 1 1/2 cups mixed fresh herbs (parsley, chives, basil and similar)

* 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

* 1/8 teaspoon salt

Method:

1. Score skin side of fish. Sprinkle fish with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper, then roll in flour. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large cast-iron or nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Add fish, skin side down, to pan; cook 4 minutes or until skin is crisp. Turn fish over; cook 1 minute or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness.

2. Combine herbs, remaining 2 teaspoons oil, juice, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl; toss gently to coat. Serve it over fish.

Ingredients:

Fish:

* 4 whole trout, cleaned, boned and rinsed

* About 1 tsp.  salt, divided

* 1 cup cornmeal

* 6 to 7 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided

* 1/2 kg mini multicolored bell peppers, seeded, and cut in half lengthwise

* 1 lemon or 2 limes, cut in wedges

Salad:

* 1 kg Yukon Gold potatoes

* 3 tablespoons fruity extra-virgin olive oil

* 1-2 tablespoons white vine vinegar

* About 3/4 tsp. salt

* 1 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves

* 1 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

* 1 tablespoon minced chives

* Freshly ground black pepper

Method:

Fish:

1. Preheat oven to 150°. Sprinkle inside of each trout with salt (use about 1/2 tsp. total).  In a large, shallow dish, combine cornmeal and remaining 1/2 tsp. salt. Turn fish in cornmeal to coat evenly.

2. Pour 2 tbsp. oil into frying pan, preferably nonstick, and warm them over medium heat. (Or warm a large griddle over 2 burners.) Put fish in the pan and fry, turning once, until golden brown outside and no longer translucent in the center, 8 to 9 minutes total; reduce heat if fish start to get too brown. Transfer fish to 1 or 2 large platters and keep warm in oven.

3. Pour 1 more tbsp. oil into 1 pan (or onto griddle) if it’s dry, then set over medium-high heat. Quickly sauté peppers until they’re softened and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with salt to taste and scatter on top of fish. Serve with lemon wedges  and potato salad.

Salad:

1. Pour about 3 cm water into a large pot and set a steamer basket* in the bottom. Bring to a boil. Add potatoes, reduce heat, and simmer, covered, until tender when pierced, 25 to 30 minutes. Pour potatoes into a colander in the sink, rinse with cool water, and let stand until cool enough to handle.

2. Peel potatoes and slice crosswise into 1cm thick slices. Put in a large serving bowl.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, and 3/4 tsp. salt and drizzle over warm potatoes. Sprinkle with chopped herbs and add pepper and additional salt to taste, mixing gently to coat.

*Potatoes cook most evenly in a steamer basket, but if you don’t have one, fill pot halfway with water and boil potatoes.

Make ahead: Chill airtight up to 1 day (the salad will become even more flavorful); before serving, bring to room temperature, then stir.

Ingredients:

(Serves 2)

* 2 small to medium-size whole rainbow trout, cleaned OR other type of whole fish, such as snapper

* marinade: 2 Tbsp. Thai fish sauce per fish (=4 Tbsp. for 2 small-medium whole fish)

* SAUCE:

* 3 Tbsp. sherry

* 3 cloves garlic, minced

* 1/2 cup coriander stems and leaves

* 2 Tbsp. soy sauce

* 2 Tbsp. fish sauce

* 1 Tbsp. lime juice

* 1/2 to 1 fresh red chili (or substitute green chili), minced (OR 1-3 tsp. chili sauce)

* 1/4 cup water

* 1 tsp. tamarind paste

* 2 Tbsp. brown sugar (more or less to taste)

* 1 tsp. cornstarch dissolved in 2 Tbsp. water

If Frying the Fish Indoors: 1-2 cups oil for deep-frying (depending on your pan), and 1/2 cup flour

* Garnish: 1 handful of fresh coriander, plus cut slices of cucumber and tomato

Method:

1. Rinse the fish and pat dry. Place on a cutting board. Using a sharp, serrated knife, and holding the fish firmly in front of you, make 3-4 cuts on each side of the fish. This allows the marinade and sauce to penetrate, and also makes the fish easier to eat once cooked.

2. Pour fish sauce marinade over the fish, roughly 1 Tbsp. of fish sauce per side. Allow fish sit 5-10 minutes before cooking.

3. To make the sauce, place mix all sauce ingredients together in a sauce pan. Place over medium heat. When you add the cornstarch (dissolved in water), the sauce will thicken slightly.

4. Taste-test the sauce. What you want is a balance of flavors – sweet, sour, salty, and spicy. Add more sugar if too sour, and more fish sauce if not salty enough. If not spicy enough, add more fresh chili or chili sauce. If too spicy, not to worry – once the sauce is poured over the fish, it will be less hot.

5. Keep sauce on minimum heat until fish is done cooking, or cover and keep warm.

6. If Grilling: Place marinated fish on a hot, lightly oiled grill. Allow to cook for at least 5 minutes before attempting to turn or move the fish, or the skin will tear. After 5-8 minutes, using tongs, gently lift and turn the fish. Again, allow it to cook for at least 5 minutes before attempting to move or turn it. Fish is done when inner flesh (look inside the cuts you made) is no longer pink or translucent, but has turned white and opaque. Thicker or larger fish may need extra grilling time.

If Frying the Fish: Dredge fish with flour to coat (regular white flour or rice flour can be used). Pour 1-2 cups canola (or other low-smoke oil) into a wok or large frying pan. The oil should be at least 1 inch deep. Heat oil over medium-high heat until you see bubbles forming on the bottom of the pan (or the oil begins to “snake” slightly along the bottom of the pan). Carefully slide or place fish in the oil, standing back in case the oil splatters. Turn down the heat to medium. Allow the fish to fry undisturbed (without moving it or turning it) for at least 3 minutes, or skin will come off.  Fry the fish 3-5 minutes per side (depending on thickness of fish), or until outer skin/flesh has turned a light golden-brown and flesh inside the cuts has turned white and opaque.

TO SERVE: Place cooked fish on a serving platter and pour the sauce over. Add a sprinkling of fresh coriander, and garnish the plate with slices of cucumber and tomato. Serve with plenty of Thai jasmine-scented rice.

Ingredients:

4 Tbsp olive oil

3 large cloves garlic, crushed

1 yellow medium onion chopped

½ cup chopped parsley

400g can Italian-style tomatoes, well mashed

½ large pepper, core and seeds removed, finely chopped

1 tsp salt

12 mussels, scrubbed and soaked with beards removed

12 raw prawns

1 large squid

500 ml fish stock, either purchased or homemade (click here for recipe)

1kg mix of assorted fish fillets, rinsed (snapper, tuna, monk fish, orange roughy, etc…)

1cup white dry wine (optional)

Croûtes:

French bread or focaccia, thinly sliced

olive oil

1 clove garlic, peeled and halved

Method:

Put the olive oil in a wide saucepan with the garlic , onion and parsley. Cook over a gentle heat, stirring, until garlic just starts to change colour. Add the tomatoes and pepper. Cook gently for 10 minutes, then grind in black pepper and add salt.

While the soup base is cooking, put mussels in a small saucepan, splash them with a little water and cover the pan with a lid. Bring to the boil and cook until the shells open. Transfer mussels to a bowl as they are done.

Add the stock and wine to the soup pan and bring to the boil. Cook gently for 10 minutes, then add the fish fillets. Partially cover with a lid and cook very gently for about 7 minutes or until the fish is just cooked through. Prawns and squid are added during the last few minutes and cook until they turn pink throughout (about 2 minutes) and that squid is not rubbery. Add mussels, if using, for the last minute of cooking, to warm through.

Meanwhile, make the garlic croûtes. Brush the slices of bread with the olive oil and place them on a baking tray. Toast in a preheated moderate oven (180°C) for 7-10 minutes or until golden. Remove the croûtes from the oven and immediately rub each slice generously with a cut clove of garlic. Dish the soup into hot bowls and serve with garlic croûtes.

Note: Brodetto refers to ‘seafood or fish soup’. Variety of fish and seafood mixed together gives better flavour,  but can be done only with fish mix. Use white fish fillets for a delicate flavour and meatier fish fillets for a more robust soup.