Miso cod
NOBU IS ONE OF MY FAVOURITE RESTAURANTS, ESPECIALLY THE ONE IN NEW YORK WHERE I FIRST ATE ONE OF THEIR SIGNATURE DISHES – MISO BLACK COD. SINCE THEN I’VE EATEN SIMILAR DISHES IN MY TRAVELS TO JAPAN. MY RECIPE HAS LESS SUGAR THAN MOST, AND USES BLUE-EYE TREVALLA (ALSO KNOWN AS BLUE-EYE COD).
THE FISH IS COATED IN A MISO MARINADE AND LEFT IN THE REFRIGERATOR FOR TWO OR THREE DAYS, SO I THINK YOU SHOULD BEFRIEND YOUR FISHMONGER TO MAKE SURE THE FISH IS REALLY FRESH. THE FISH IS THEN PAN-FRIED AND IT EMERGES TASTING AS IF IT HAS BEEN SMOTHERED IN BUTTER – A MAGICAL TRICK WORKED BY THE MISO, BUT WITH NO REASON TO FEEL GUILTY AFTERWARDS. I PREFER TO SERVE THE FISH ON ITS OWN AS A MAIN COURSE TO LET IT REALLY FEATURE, BUT I START WITH SOMETHING GREEN AND HEALTHY. WHITE MISO IS THE KIND I NORMALLY USE, ALTHOUGH THE RECIPE WILL WORK WITH ANY MISO.
Put the mirin and sake in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the miso and sugar. Stir until dissolved, then remove from the heat and leave to cool. Set aside 3 tablespoons of the mixture in a small bowl to use as a dressing.
Lay the fish fillets in a shallow dish and cover completely with the miso mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate along with the bowl of dressing for 2 or 3 days.
Preheat the oven to 220°C. Heat a frying pan over medium heat. Remove the fish from the marinade and add it to the pan, skin-side down. Fry for 3 minutes, then turn and cook for another 3 minutes. Transfer to an oven tray and bake for 8–10 minutes, or until cooked to your liking. Serve drizzled with the reserved miso dressing.
Serves 4
125 ml mirin
3 tablespoons sake
400 g (1½ cups) miso
150 g (2/3 cup) sugar
4 x 220 g blue-eye trevalla fillets, skin on
It’s all about communication when it comes to buying food. It’s about speaking to someone who knows more than you do about what you’re buying – it will probably be your local butcher, greengrocer or fishmonger. You know you’ve got a good relationship when you can walk into a shop and say ‘What’s good today?’
Mrs Joyce’s Lebanese fish
MRS JOYCE IS MY FRIEND BEC’S MUM, AND HER FANTASTIC FISH RECIPE IS ONE YOU JUST CAN’T GET WRONG. DUE TO THE BIG FLAVOURS OF LOTS OF RED ONIONS AND BALSAMIC VINEGAR, YOU DON’T HAVE TO USE A PREMIUM FISH, WHICH IS ALWAYS GOOD FOR THE BUDGET. SERVE THE DISH WITH A GREEN SALAD.
Heat the oil in a heavy-based saucepan over low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour, until very soft. Stir in the vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Allow to cool a little.
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Lay the fish in a baking dish and top with the onion. Cover with foil and bake for 7 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for another 7 minutes.
Serves 4
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 red onions, finely sliced
80 ml balsamic vinegar
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
4 x 200 g skinless blue grenadier fillets
It’s fantastic to realise that a common ingredient like the onion is so good for you. Onions are a great source of flavonoids, which are compounds with antioxidant effects found in plant foods. One major flavonoid in onions, quercetin, helps to protect against cardiovascular disease, is anti-inflammatory, and relieves allergy symptoms. Red onions have more quercetin than white onions, and most is located close to the skin of the onion so they shouldn’t be over-peeled. Onions also contain vitamin C and the mineral chromium, which assists in controlling blood-sugar levels.
GETTING COOKING TIPS ON MY TRAVELS
ONE OF THE THINGS I TRY TO DO WITH MY COOKING IS BRING IN ALL THE INFLUENCES FROM MY TRAVELS AROUND THE WORLD. SO, I HAVE TAKEN WHAT I HAVE EXPERIENCED AND LIKED, AND WHAT FITS IN WITH A HEALTHY AND REALISTIC LIFESTYLE, AND INTEGRATED IT INTO THE FOOD I COOK AND THE WAY I EAT. WHEN I WAS IN TUSCANY I LOVED HOW ALMOST EVERYTHING THEY SERVED CAME OUT OF THE GARDEN AND WAS SEASONAL AND FRESH. AND WHEN I GO TO JAPAN, I ALWAYS NOTICE HOW THE QUALITY RATHER THAN THE QUANTITY OF FOOD IS PARAMOUNT, AND THAT MEALS ALWAYS CONSIST OF GREAT VARIETY.
Barramundi with preserved lemon, tomato and pine nuts
FOR THIS DISH I USE THE FLESH OF PRESERVED LEMON RATHER THAN THE USUAL SKIN, AS IT HAS A SWEET, SUBTLE FLAVOUR THAT DOESN’T OVERPOWER THE WONDERFUL BARRAMUNDI. SERVE THE FISH AND SAUCE WITH WILTED BABY SPINACH LEAVES.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a small saucepan and add the tomato, preserved lemon, pine nuts, lemon juice and herbs. Cook for 2–3 minutes, then remove from the heat.
While the sauce is cooking, heat the remaining oil in a large frying pan. Cook the fish skin-side down for 3–4 minutes, until crisp. Turn the fish and cook for another 2 minutes, or until cooked to your liking. Serve the fish topped with the warm sauce.
Serves 4
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tomato, finely chopped
½ preserved lemon, flesh only, finely chopped
1 tablespoon pine nuts, toasted
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon finely chopped thyme
1 teaspoon finely chopped oregano
4 x 150 g barramundi fillets, skin on
Beetroot-cured salmon with fennel salad
THIS DISH CAN MAKE YOU APPEAR A MORE EXPERT COOK THAN YOU REALLY ARE! EVERYONE ALWAYS TRIES TO GUESS WHAT FLAVOURS ARE IN IT. THE FENNEL SEEDS GIVE THE DISH FRESH EARTHINESS, WHILE THE BEETROOT GIVES IT SWEETNESS AS WELL AS VIBRANT COLOUR.
Finely grind the peppercorns and fennel seeds in a mortar. Transfer to a bowl along with the beetroot, citrus zest and juice, herbs, sugar and salt and toss well.
Place the salmon in a large, deep tray and cover the top with the beetroot mix. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours. Turn the salmon and re-cover with the beetroot mix, and refrigerate for a further 12 hours.
To make the salad, combine the fennel, onion, mache and dill in a bowl. Dress with the lemon juice, season with pepper and toss to combine.
Scrape the beetroot mixture from the salmon and pat the fish dry. Finely slice the fish and serve with the fennel salad.
Serves 6
2 tablespoons black peppercorns
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
4 beetroots, peeled and grated
2 limes, zested and juiced
1 orange, zested and juiced
1 cup dill leaves, finely chopped
1 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped
330 g (1½ cups) caster sugar
130 g (1 cup) sea salt
1.2 kg side of salmon, pin-boned and skinned
FENNEL SALAD
2 baby fennel bulbs, finely sliced
1 red onion, finely sliced
1 cup mache leaves (lamb’s lettuce)
¼ cup dill leaves, chopped
2 tablespoons lemon juice
freshly ground black pepper
Beetroot is as healthy as it is colourful, with studies showing that it lowers cholesterol and blood pressure and even boosts endurance by making the body’s uptake of oxygen more efficient. One antioxidant that beetroot contains called betacyanin – which is also the pigment responsible for its deep red colour – has been shown to prevent cancers such as colon cancer.
Squid, blood orange, pomegranate and fennel salad
THIS SALAD IS PACKED WITH ANTIOXIDANTS FROM THE POMEGRANATE AND BLOOD ORANGES – AND I GUARANTEE IT WILL MAKE A GOOD IMPRESSION WHEN ENTERTAINING. IT MAKES ME THINK OF SUMMER IN ITALY!
Use a small, sharp knife to cut the peel from the oranges, making sure to remove all the white pith. Hold the oranges over a bowl to catch any juice and cut on either side of each segment to remove wedges of flesh, leaving the membranes behind. Drop the wedges into another bowl. Squeeze the juice from the membranes and measure out 2 tablespoons for the dressing.
To make the dressing, bring the Campari to the boil in a small saucepan. Reduce the heat and whisk in the juice, orange-blossom water and oil. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.
Preheat a barbecue grill to medium. Combine the salt and pepper on a plate. Toss the squid in the salt and pepper, then grill the pieces for 1–2 minutes on each side.
Combine the squid, blood-orange segments, fennel, pomegranate seeds and salad leaves in a bowl. Pour on the dressing and toss well.
Serves 4
2 blood oranges
2 teaspoons sea salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
500 g squid tubes, quartered lengthwise and finely scored
1 fennel bulb, finely sliced
seeds of 1 pomegranate
250 g (4 cups) mixed salad leaves
DRESSING
2 tablespoons Campari
2 tablespoons juice reserved from segmenting the blood oranges
2 teaspoons orange-blossom water (instead you could use 1 teaspoon caster sugar)
3 tablespoons olive oil
Pomegranates contain three times the amount of antioxidants found in green tea – which is itself a well-known powerhouse of antioxidants. And, blood oranges are rich in the antioxidant known as anthocyanin.
Grilled salmon with roasted red capsicum pesto
THE SWEETNESS OF THE ROASTED CAPSICUM WORKS REALLY WELL WITH THE RICH FLAVOUR OF THE SALMON. THIS DISH ALSO LOOKS BEAUTIFUL WITH BURSTS OF RED AND PINK. SERVE WITH STEAMED OR CHARGRILLED ASPARAGUS OR ROASTED PUMPKIN AND HAZELNUT SALAD.
Preheat a barbecue grill to high. Roast the capsicums on the grill until blackened all over (about 20–30 minutes). Place in a deep bowl, cover with plastic wrap and leave to steam and cool for 15 minutes, then peel and seed the capsicums.
Put the capsicum flesh, macadamias, pine nuts and parmesan in a food processor and blend until smooth.
Preheat the barbecue grill once more, and preheat your oven grill. Grill the salmon on the barbecue skin-side down for 2–3 minutes until just golden. Transfer the fillets, skin-side down, to an oven tray, spoon over the capsicum pesto and cook under the oven grill for 2–3 minutes, or until cooked to your liking.
Serves 4
PESTO
2 red capsicums
¼ cup macadamias
1½ tablespoons pine nuts
25 g parmesan, grated
4 x 120 g salmon fillets, skin on
Salmon really is a superstar of the fish world due to its high nutritional value. It is a great source of vitamins B6 and B12, and the minerals phosphorus, niacin and magnesium. Salmon is also high in protein and – perhaps most importantly of all – in Omega-3 fatty acids that are essential to our body’s function.
Pad Thai with squid ‘noodles’
I AM ACTUALLY A FAIRLY AVERAGE FISHERMAN BUT I NOTICED A NEIGHBOUR CATCHING SQUID ONE DAY AND HE TOLD ME HOW TO DO IT. IT’S A LOT EASIER THAN YOU MIGHT THINK. I USUALLY GO ONCE A WEEK, AND THE RESULT IS PLENTY OF FRESH SQUID FOR EVERYONE AT MY HOUSE.
PAD THAI IS NORMALLY MADE WITH FLAT RICE NOODLES, BUT I LIKE TO CUT MY OWN ‘NOODLES’ FROM THE SQUID. THIS BRINGS DOWN THE CARBOHYDRATE CONTENT OF THE DISH AND ADDS THE EXTRA NUTRITION OF SEAFOOD. KRACHAI, ALSO KNOWN AS LESSER GINGER, IS A LONG, THIN, FINGER-SHAPED RHIZOME THAT ADDS AN EARTHY, AUTHENTIC FLAVOUR TO THAI DISHES LIKE THIS ONE. LOOK FOR IT AT ASIAN GROCERS – BUT IF YOU CAN’T FIND IT, IT CAN BE OMITTED.
DON’T LET THE LONG INGREDIENTS LIST INTIMIDATE YOU. THE DISH ISN’T HARD TO MAKE – THERE’S JUST A BIT OF CHOPPING TO GET THROUGH, BUT THEN THE COOKING IS QUICK. I LIKE TO MAKE PAD THAI WHEN I HAVE FRIENDS OVER AND I CAN DELEGATE SOME OF THE CHOPPING TO THEM!
Mash the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.
Heat a tablespoon of the oil in a wok over high heat. Add a third of the squid and fry for 2–3 minutes, until milky white. Transfer to paper towel to drain and continue cooking the remaining squid in two more batches, using a tablespoon of oil each time.
Lightly beat the eggs, spring onion, garlic chives, coriander and chilli flakes in a bowl and set aside.
Heat the remaining oil in the wok over medium heat and stir-fry the pork for 2–4 minutes, until browned all over. Add the prawns, krachai and garlic and stir-fry for another 2 minutes, then add the sauce and cook for a further 2 minutes. Push all the ingredients to one side of the wok and pour in the egg mixture. Lightly scramble the egg as it begins to set, creating bite-sized pieces, then add the squid noodles, bean sprouts and peanuts and toss until well combined and heated through.
Serve with coriander leaves, sliced chilli and lime wedges.
Serves 4
SAUCE
3 tablespoons tamarind puree
3 tablespoons fish sauce
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1½ tablespoons grated palm sugar
1 teaspoon Thai shrimp paste
120 ml vegetable oil
700 g squid tubes, opened out flat and finely sliced into ‘noodles’
2 eggs
5 spring onions, finely sliced
2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic chives
2 tablespoons finely chopped coriander, plus extra leaves to serve
½ teaspoon dried chilli flakes
200 g pork fillet, finely sliced
300 g raw prawns, shelled and de-veined
6 small krachai (lesser ginger) fingers, peeled and sliced
3 garlic cloves, crushed
180 g (2 cups) bean sprouts, trimmed
3 tablespoons peanuts, roasted and chopped
sliced red chilli to serve
lime wedges to serve
Fish and prawns in coconut milk and red palm-fruit oil
THIS IS A BRAZILIAN SEAFOOD STEW CALLED MOQUECA DE PEIXE. IT IS DELICIOUS SERVED WITH STEAMED GREEN VEGETABLES, BROWN RICE AND A HOT CHILLI SAUCE SUCH AS TABASCO. RED PALM-FRUIT OIL BECAME POPULAR IN BRAZILIAN COOKING AFTER AFRICAN SLAVES ARRIVED THERE.
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Season the fish and prawns with salt and pepper.
Heat the olive oil in a heavy-based ovenproof saucepan and add the onion. Fry for 5 minutes, until translucent, then add the tomato paste, fresh tomato and capsicum and cook for 10 minutes, until the capsicum is soft. Stir in the coconut milk, palm-fruit oil and 2 tablespoons of water, followed by the fish and prawns. Cover with a lid and transfer the pan to the oven for 10–15 minutes, or until the seafood is cooked through. Garnish with the coriander and cashews to serve.
Serves 4
500 g firm white fish fillets, cut into 3 cm chunks
500 g raw prawns, shelled and de-veined
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tomato, roughly chopped
2 red capsicums, finely chopped
250 ml coconut milk
1 tablespoon red palm-fruit oil
¼ cup coriander leaves
3 tablespoons cashews, roasted
The oil palm originates in Africa, where it is largely a sustainable product made by small-scale family producers. While the kernel inside the palm fruit produces a colourless oil valued for use in products such as soap, oil from the fruit itself is a rich red colour and is very high in vitamin E and beta carotene (which our bodies convert to vitamin A), and it has more monosaturated (versus saturated) fat.
Zuke tuna
‘ZUKE’ IS A JAPANESE WORD FOR MARINATE, AND FOR THOSE HESITANT TO TRY SASHIMI, THIS IS A GREAT INTRODUCTION TO EATING RAW FISH.
To make the marinade, place the mirin and sake in a small saucepan and bring to the boil, then remove from the heat and add the soy sauce, garlic, chilli, ginger and palm sugar. Leave to cool.
Put the tuna in a bowl and coat with the marinade. Refrigerate overnight.
Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Remove the tuna from the marinade and wrap tightly in plastic wrap, securing the ends with rubber bands. Cook the tuna in the boiling water for 1–2 minutes – it should still be rare inside. When cool enough to handle, discard the plastic wrap and slice finely.
Serves 6 as an entree
3 tablespoons mirin
3 tablespoons sake
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 small red chilli, seeded and finely sliced
1 cm piece of ginger, peeled and finely sliced
1 teaspoon grated palm sugar
150 g sashimi-grade tuna (from the belly)
Crayfish and crab sushi
FOR ME, THIS IS A SPECIAL-OCCASION DISH – NOT JUST BECAUSE OF THE CRAYFISH AND CRAB, BUT ALSO THE WHITE SUSHI RICE. IT’S A GREAT DISH FOR ENTERTAINING IF YOU WANT TO IMPRESS THE SOCKS OFF YOUR FRIENDS. THE SUSHI, WHICH IS ROLLED WITH THE RICE ON THE OUTSIDE, WORKS REALLY WELL AS AN APPETISER FOR A DINNER PARTY – PERHAPS TO BE FOLLOWED BY ZUKE TUNA.
Remove the crayfish tail meat from its shell – you don’t need the legs for the sushi so you can enjoy them separately.
Finely chop the crayfish and crab meat, then combine them in a bowl with the mayonnaise. Season well with pepper.
Cover a sushi mat with plastic wrap so the rice doesn’t stick to it. Place a sheet of nori on the mat. Wet your hands and add a large handful of rice in the middle of the nori and start spreading it out gently until about 1 cm thick and even across the nori sheet (add more rice if you don’t have enough). Turn the nori and rice over so that the rice is facing down onto the plastic. Spread a quarter of the crayfish and crab mixture along one long edge of the nori sheet. Use the mat to roll the rice and nori over the filling gently but firmly. Continue rolling up, keeping the roll tight.
Scatter the dukkah over a board or work surface and roll the rice roll in dukkah until well coated. Set the roll aside and continue making rolls from the remaining nori sheets, rice and crayfish and crab mixture, rolling them in dukkah.
Use a wet sharp knife to cut each roll into 6–8 pieces.
Serves 6–8 as an entree
1 medium cooked crayfish
145 g cooked crab meat
½ cup Japanese mayonnaise
freshly ground black pepper
4 nori sheets
4 cups cooked sushi rice
1 cup dukkah
Oysters in seven deadly sins
THESE OYSTERS ARE GREAT FOR A DINNER PARTY AND A FUN WAY TO KICK OFF AN EVENING – GET EVERYONE TO CHOOSE THEIR FAVOURITE SIN.
PASSION
6 oysters
Spoon a little nahm jim onto each oyster.
GLUTTONY
3 slices of prosciutto, finely sliced crosswise
3 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
6 oysters
Top the oysters with the prosciutto and spoon over half the worcestershire. Cook under a hot grill for 2–3 minutes until the prosciutto is crisp. Spoon over the rest of the worcestershire.
GREED
120 ml champagne
1½ tablespoons butter
6 oysters
Heat the champagne and butter in a small saucepan, stirring until the butter melts and the mixture is well combined. Spoon over the oysters.
AVARICE
3 shallots, finely chopped
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
6 oysters
Combine the shallots and vinegar and spoon over the oysters.
ENVY
3 kaffir lime leaves, very finely shredded
3 teaspoons vodka
6 oysters
Combine the lime leaves and vodka and spoon over the oysters.
WRATH
small knob of ginger, peeled and grated
8 cm piece of cucumber, very finely chopped
3 teaspoons red-wine vinegar
6 oysters
Combine the ginger, cucumber and vinegar and spoon over the oysters.
SLOTH
Serve the oysters natural – ‘sloth’ translates as ‘can’t be bothered’!
Serves 6
Oysters make a great ‘seven deadly sins’ dish as they are quite famous for being an aphrodisiac. This is because they are rich in amino acids and zinc, which are important for testosterone production, fertility, reproductive health and libido. Oysters are also rich in iron, calcium and vitamin A.
Whether roasted, grilled or turned into a curry or a stir-fry, chicken is such a versatile meat to cook, and a bit of a no-brainer for many of us when it comes to preparing a quick and tasty meal. I love to cook and eat chicken as much as the next person, although I do like to cook other poultry as well, such as quail and turkey.
Turkey is something many of us only consider eating at Christmas, but it deserves to be more widely enjoyed! I would like to encourage people to sometimes try turkey tenderloin as a replacement for chicken breast as it’s lower in fat and higher in protein. I like the fact that it can be used in most dishes where you would use chicken breast, but it has a different taste, so it adds variety to your meals.
Along with other meats, poultry is a good source of iron, zinc, B vitamins and other nutrients — such as selenium, which helps support the immune system. Environmentally, it is better than red meat (some of the reasons are the smaller amount of farmland required and less methane expelled by the animals), so I try to eat a little more sustainably and reduce my red meat consumption to two meals per week and have poultry or fish more often. I usually have two meals of poultry a week, and the same for fish. I also make an effort to buy free-range and certified organic poultry, as not only are the animals raised in a healthier and happier way, but the meat has more nutrients and no contaminants.
