Seafood Dishes
Fish is the ideal choice for a main meal when you want to be outside in the sunshine rather than slaving over a hot stove and tastes superb when barbecued. Fillets, whole fish and all kinds of shellfish can be grilled (broiled) or barbecued to perfection literally in minutes, and are delicious plain or with a tasty sauce.
For kebabs, use firm-fleshed fish such as monkfish that does not fall apart easily, and when barbecuing, wrap more delicate fillets in foil or place in a hinged wire cooking rack for easy turning. Oily fish such as mackerel or sardines are especially good for quick, plain cooking, as they remain moist and succulent. To keep white fish and shellfish juicy, baste often while cooking.
Fijian fish steaks
These look stunning laid on a bed of washed vine leaves with the spicy coconut sauce served on the side.
Serves 6
6 swordfish, tuna or shark steaks, skinned
400 g/14 oz/1 large can of coconut milk
45 ml/3 tbsp sunflower oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
5 ml/1 tsp grated fresh root ginger
1 small green chilli, seeded and chopped
15 ml/1 tbsp chopped coriander (cilantro)
Grated rind and juice of 1 lime
To garnish:
Wedges of lime and sprigs of fresh coriander
1 Wipe the fish steaks so that they are clean and dry, then place in a single layer in a large shallow dish.
2 Mix 45 ml/3 tbsp of the coconut milk together with the remaining ingredients and pour over the fish. Leave to marinate for at least 2 hours, turning once.
3 Drain off the marinade into a saucepan. Add the remaining coconut milk and bring to the boil. Boil rapidly until reduced by half, stirring occasionally. Season to taste. If you are barbecuing, put the sauce to the side of the barbecue to keep warm.
4 Cook the fish steaks on the barbecue or under a preheated grill (broiler) for about 4–5 minutes on each side until cooked through, turning once. Reheat the sauce if necessary and spoon a little on to plates. Top with the fish, then garnish with wedges of lime and sprigs of coriander.
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Marinating time: 2 hours
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Charred tuna with coriander and chilli butter
Tuna has a firm, meaty texture that makes it ideal for grilling (broiling) and barbecuing. It needs frequent basting during cooking to ensure it doesn’t dry out and should be under- rather than over-cooked. Swordfish makes a good alternative.
Serves 4
4 tuna steaks, about 150 g/5 oz each
30 ml/2 tbsp olive oil
15 ml/1 tbsp lime or lemon juice
100 g/4 oz/¬Ω cup butter, softened
15 ml/1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)
1 green chilli, seeded and finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Wash and pat the tuna steaks dry on kitchen paper (paper towels). Place in a shallow dish. Mix the oil and lime or lemon juice together and brush over both sides of the steaks. Marinade at room temperature for 20 minutes.
2 Meanwhile, mix the butter, chopped coriander and chilli together, seasoning well with salt and pepper. Shape into a roll, wrap in clingfilm (plastic wrap) or greaseproof (waxed) paper, and chill until needed.
3 Remove the tuna from the marinade and cook on the barbecue or under a preheated grill (broiler) for about 10 minutes, turning once, until cooked to your liking. Serve topped with slices of flavoured butter.
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Marinating time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
South American mackerel
You can use any oily fish for this recipe. It’s not only delicious but also very healthy! If you are not barbecuing, roast the parcels in the oven at 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6 (fan oven 180°C). There is no need to turn them.
Serves 6
6 mackerel, cleaned
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 green chilli, seeded and chopped
400 g/14 oz/1 large can of pimientos, drained and sliced
30 ml/2 tbsp passata (sieved tomatoes)
12 stuffed green olives, sliced
Olive oil, for greasing
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the salsa:
2 ripe avocados, halved and stoned (pitted)
Juice of 1 lemon
5 ml/1 tsp grated onion
150 ml/¼ pt/2/3 cup olive oil
Tabasco sauce, to taste
Worcestershire sauce, to taste
To serve:
Warm flour tortillas
A green salad
1 Slash the mackerel in several places on both sides. This will help the flavourings to penetrate the flesh.
2 Mix the onion, garlic, chilli, pimientos, passata and olives together and spoon on to the centres of six large squares of oiled foil, shiny sides up.
3 Lay a fish on top of each and season. Wrap loosely in the foil, twisting the edges together to seal securely.
4 To make the salsa, scoop the avocado flesh into a bowl and mash with a little lemon juice. Add the grated onion, then gradually beat in the oil to form a smooth emulsion.
5 Spike with more lemon juice and the Tabasco and Worcestershire sauces. Season to taste. Spoon into a bowl.
6 Cook the fish parcels on the barbecue for 20–25 minutes, turning once, until the fish is cooked through. Transfer the parcels to plates. Open the foil and serve the hot fish with the salsa, warm flour tortillas and a green salad.
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 20–25 minutes
Roughy with hot sauce
Roughy is widely available in fishmongers, but you can substitute cod, monkfish or any other firm white fish. Make the sauce hotter by adding more Tabasco sauce if you like.
Serves 4
1.5 ml/¼ tsp chilli powder
A pinch of dried thyme
40 g/1¬Ω oz/3 tbsp butter or margarine, melted
550 g/1¼ lb roughy fillets
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the sauce:
15 ml/1 tbsp Tabasco sauce
3 spring onions (scallions), finely chopped
375 ml/13 fl oz/1¬Ω cups plain yoghurt
1 Blend the chilli powder and thyme into the butter or margarine and brush half the butter over one side of the fish. Season with salt and pepper.
2 Cook the fish on the barbecue or under a preheated grill (broiler) for about 5 minutes on the buttered side, then brush the other side with the remaining butter, season with salt and pepper, turn and cook for a further 3 minutes until just done.
3 Meanwhile, stir the Tabasco sauce and spring onions into the yoghurt. Serve with the cooked fillets.
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Seafood platter with saffron and dill mayonnaise
To shuck oysters, hold firmly (protect your hand with an oven glove). Insert the point of a sharp knife between the two shells, near the hinge, and twist until it opens.
Serves 4
450 g/1 lb large mussels in shells
175 g/6 oz small fresh squid, cleaned
12 raw tiger prawns (jumbo shrimp)
25 g/1 oz/2 tbsp butter or margarine, melted
15 ml/1 tbsp lime juice
12 shelled scallops
8 shucked oysters
For the mayonnaise:
A large pinch of saffron strands
15 ml/1 tbsp boiling water
30 ml/2 tbsp white wine vinegar
10 ml/2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 egg yolks
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
300 ml/½ pint/1¼ cups light olive oil
30 ml/2 tbsp chopped fresh dill (dill weed)
To garnish:
Sprigs of fresh dill and wedges of lemon
1 Clean the mussels, discarding any that are broken or won’t close when tapped. Cut the squid tubes in half and lay out flat on a board with the inside uppermost. Lightly score in a criss-cross pattern with a sharp knife. Peel the prawns and remove the dark veins, but leave the tails on.
2 Mix the butter or margarine with the lime juice. Add the squid, prawns, scallops and oysters to the lime mixture and toss to coat. Thread on to soaked wooden skewers.
3 To make the mayonnaise, put the saffron in a small bowl and add the boiling water. Leave to infuse for 10 minutes, then strain the liquid into a food processor or blender.
4 Add the vinegar, mustard, egg yolks and seasoning and process for a few seconds. Then, with the motor still running, add the oil in a slow, steady stream to make a thick mayonnaise. Spoon into a bowl and stir in the chopped dill.
5 Cook the mussels on the barbecue or under a grill (broiler) for about 5 minutes, then add the seafood skewers. Cook everything for a further 5 minutes, turning once until the mussels are open and the kebabs are just cooked through. If cooking under the grill, you may need to cook the mussels first and keep them warm, wrapped in foil, in a low oven. Discard any mussels that remain closed.
6 Arrange all the seafood on a warmed serving platter and garnish with sprigs of fresh dill and wedges of lemon. Serve straight away with the mayonnaise.
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Ginger-lime salmon fillet with pineapple
Serves 6
3 limes
30 ml/2 tbsp sesame oil
15 ml/1 tbsp olive oil
10 ml/2 tsp grated fresh root ginger
1 small garlic clove, crushed
30 ml/2 tbsp clear honey
15 ml/1 tbsp light soy sauce
6 small salmon fillets, about 150 g/5 oz each, skinned
1 small pineapple
30 ml/2 tbsp sesame seeds
A handful of whole chives
15 ml/1 tbsp snipped fresh chives
Freshly ground black pepper
1 Finely grate the rind from one of the limes and squeeze the juice from it and one other. Cut the remaining lime into six slices, discarding both ends.
2 Put the lime rind and juice in a large shallow container. Mix in the oils, ginger, garlic, honey and soy sauce. Lay the salmon in the dish and turn to coat with the marinade. Cover and chill for 1 hour, turning once.
3 Meanwhile, cut all the skin off the pineapple and cut the flesh into six slices. Discard the tough central core.
4 Toast the sesame seeds.
5 Make a hole in the centre of each reserved slice of lime and push a few chive stalks through so the lime is like a ring round the centre.
6 Lay the fish, skinned sides up, with the pineapple in a single layer on foil. Cook over moderate coals on the barbecue or under a grill (broiler) preheated to medium for 6 minutes until the fish is tender and the pineapple is golden, turning the pineapple once during cooking. Brush the fish with the remaining marinade during cooking.
7 Transfer the fish to plates. Top each with a slice of pineapple and a sprinkling of sesame seeds, snipped chives and black pepper. Lay a chive and lime garnish to one side of each and serve straight away.
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Marinating time: 1 hour
Cooking time: 6 minutes
Italian-style prawn and salami kebabs
If you can buy salami in a piece, cut it into chunks. If you can only find sliced salami, roll the slices tightly into cylinders.
Serves 4
450 g/1 lb raw tiger prawns (jumbo shrimp)
225 g/8 oz salami
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
60 ml/4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
225 g/8 oz Mozzarella cheese, sliced
4 ripe tomatoes, sliced
15 ml/1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
30 ml/2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
1 Peel the prawns if you prefer, but leave the tails on. Cut the salami into small chunks.
2 Thread the prawns and salami alternately on to soaked wooden skewers and season with salt and pepper. Brush with a little oil.
3 Cook the kebabs on the barbecue or under a preheated grill (broiler) for about 5 minutes, turning frequently.
4 Arrange the cheese and tomatoes in overlapping rows in a flat serving dish and sprinkle with the remaining oil, the vinegar and basil. Season generously with pepper and a little salt. Place the kebabs on top to serve.
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Monkfish kebabs with coconut and coriander
Skinned and boned fillets of salmon, cod or other firm white fish can be used instead of the monkfish, if preferred.
Serves 4
10 ml/2 tsp sunflower oil
1 small onion, chopped
2.5 cm/1 in piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and grated
150 ml/¼ pint/2/3 cup canned coconut milk
45 ml/3 tbsp chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
450 g/1 lb monkfish
16 raw tiger prawns (jumbo shrimp)
1 Heat the oil in a small pan and gently fry (sauté) the onion for 5 minutes, until soft. Add the ginger and coconut milk and simmer for about 5 minutes until thick. Leave to cool, then stir in 30 ml/2 tbsp of the chopped coriander and season with salt and pepper.
2 Meanwhile, fillet the monkfish by cutting down either side of the central bone. Cut the fish into bite-sized chunks. Peel the prawns, removing the heads and tails, and thread on to four metal skewers, alternating with the monkfish. Brush the coconut sauce over the kebabs, turning to coat well.
3 Cook on the barbecue or under a preheated grill (broiler) for about 4 minutes on each side, according to thickness, brushing frequently with the coconut sauce, until cooked through. Serve sprinkled with the remaining chopped coriander.
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 8 minutes
Citrus sardines in vine leaves
This also makes a delicious starter but you only need one sardine per person. Serve them with plenty of warm crusty bread.
Serves 4
8 fresh sardines, cleaned
2 lemons
Juice of 1 orange
100 ml/3¬Ω fl oz/scant ¬Ω cup olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
200 g/7 oz packet of vine leaves in brine
8 small sprigs of fresh rosemary
1 Using a sharp knife, remove the backbones from the sardines. Rinse in cold water and pat dry on kitchen paper (paper towels). Put in a single layer in a shallow dish.
2 Squeeze the juice from one of the lemons and mix with the orange juice, olive oil and pepper. Pour over the fish, turn to coat, cover and marinade in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
3 Cut the remaining lemon in half lengthwise, then thinly slice. Rinse the vine leaves well in cold water, then drain.
4 Place a sardine on top of each vine leaf. Put two slices of lemon and a sprig of rosemary in the cavity of each fish. Wrap in the leaf, leaving the head and tail free, and secure with fine string.
5 Cook the sardines on the barbecue or under a preheated grill (broiler) for about 5 minutes on each side, or until cooked through. Remove the string and serve hot.
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Marinating time: 1 hour
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Spiced scallop and mangetout kebabs
Make the sauce and prepare the kebabs in advance for this quick and tasty recipe so all you have to do is cook them when you’re ready to eat.
Serves 4
30 ml/2 tbsp sunflower oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
60 ml/4 tbsp soy sauce
45 ml/3 tbsp tomato purée (paste)
45 ml/3 tbsp red wine vinegar
30 ml/2 tbsp light brown sugar
2.5 ml/¬Ω tsp ground ginger
2.5 ml/¬Ω tsp chilli powder
350 g/12 oz shelled scallops
225 g/8 oz mangetout (snow peas)
1 Heat the oil and fry (sauté) the onion and garlic until softened but not browned. Add the soy sauce, tomato purée, vinegar, sugar, ginger and chilli, bring to the boil, then simmer for 3 minutes, stirring.
2 Thread the scallops and mangetout alternately on to soaked wooden skewers. Brush with the sauce.
3 Cook the kebabs on the barbecue or under a preheated grill (broiler) for about 6 minutes, turning frequently and brushing with more sauce. Serve with any remaining sauce.
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Sizzling lobster with citrus fire butter
Prepare and deep-fry the greens well in advance.
Serves 4
350 g/12 oz spring (collard) greens, finely shredded
Oil, for deep-frying
A little coarse sea salt
100 g/4 oz/¬Ω cup butter or margarine
Finely grated rind and juice of 1 large orange
1 red chilli, seeded and finely chopped
1 green chilli, seeded and finely chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
2 lobsters, about 700 g/1¬Ω lb each
30 ml/2 tbsp sunflower oil
To garnish:
Wedges of lemon and orange
1 Wash the shredded greens and dry thoroughly on kitchen paper (paper towels). Deep-fry a little at a time in hot oil for 2–3 minutes until crisp (be careful because it will spit). Drain on kitchen paper. Sprinkle with sea salt and toss gently.
2 Mash the butter or margarine with the orange rind and chopped chillies. Season with a little pepper.
3 Cut the lobsters in half lengthways and remove the stomach sac from behind the head and the black vein that runs the length of the body. Brush all over with sunflower oil. Drizzle the flesh with the orange juice.
4 Place the lobster halves on the barbecue or grill (broiler) rack, flesh-side down, and cook for 30 seconds. Turn over. Spread the buttery mixture over the flesh and continue cooking until it has melted and is sizzling.
5 Put a layer of crispy greens on each of four plates. Top each with a half lobster and garnish with wedges of orange and lemon.
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Tropical stuffed trout
The mouth-watering creamy mixture of avocado and banana and the wrapping of leaves keep the trout in this recipe deliciously moist.
Serves 4
4 large spring (collard) greens leaves
4 rainbow trout, cleaned
Juice of 1 small lime
15 ml/1 tbsp light soy sauce
15 ml/1 tbsp medium sherry
1 ripe avocado, peeled, stoned (pitted) and sliced
1 slightly green banana, sliced
Oil, for greasing
Freshly ground black pepper
To garnish:
Wedges of lime
1 Cut out any thick central stalks from the leaves. Blanch the leaves in boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water and drain again.
2 Rinse the fish and pat dry with kitchen paper (paper towels). Cut off the heads, if liked. Mix the lime juice with the soy sauce and sherry and use to brush the fish inside and out.
3 Stuff the body cavities with the avocado and banana slices. Lay each leaf on a large piece of oiled foil, shiny side up. Put one fish on each leaf and drizzle with any remaining lime juice mixture. Add a good grinding of pepper. Wrap up in the leaves, then foil, to form secure parcels.
4 Cook over hot coals on the barbecue or under a grill (broiler) preheated to high, for 25 minutes, turning once after 15 minutes. Unwrap, lift the green parcels on to serving plates and garnish with wedges of lemon.
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes