Pickled Fish

Cape Malay cooking is characterised by the liberal intermingling of spices, as well as the influence of traditional Indian, Dutch and French cuisines. One of the most popular Cape Malay dishes is pickled fish – a vibrant fusion of flavours. It offers the perfect balance of spicy, sweet, tangy and salty.

Serves 6+

Pickled Fish

Serves 6+

Cape Malay cooking is characterised by the liberal intermingling of spices, as well as the influence of traditional Indian, Dutch and French cuisines. One of the most popular Cape Malay dishes is pickled fish - a vibrant fusion of flavours. It offers the perfect balance of spicy, sweet, tangy and salty.

Ingredients

2 x 500 g Sea Harvest Cape Whiting Steaks
Fish masala
4 tbsp (60 ml) Cake wheat flour
1 – 2 tbsp (15 – 30 ml) Vegetable oil

Pickle curry sauce:

2 cups (500 ml) Vinegar
½ cup (125 ml) Water
½ – ¾ cup (125 – 187.5 ml) Brown sugar
1 tbsp (15 ml) Leaf masala
½ tsp (2.5 ml) Turmeric
5 whole All spice
5 whole Cloves
1 whole Chilli
1 tsp (5ml) Grated fresh ginger
1tsp (5 ml) Minced fresh garlic
3 large Onions, peeled and sliced into rings
3 Bay leaves
1 tsp (5 ml) Cake wheat flour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

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Method

Lightly sprinkle the fish with the masala then dust in the flour. Heat oil in a large frying pan and fry the fish on both sides until cooked through. Remove from the frying pan, drain on a paper towel and set aside to cool.
To make the pickle curry sauce, combine the vinegar, water, sugar, leaf masala, turmeric, allspice, cloves and chilli in a saucepan and bring to the boil.
Once the sugar has dissolved, add the ginger, garlic, onions and bay leaves. Simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
Firstly place the fish in a deep glass dish and then add the onions. Lastly pour the sauce over.
Cover and then refrigerate for 3 days before enjoying. Serve with freshly baked bread or hot cross buns.
This pickled fish can remain refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.

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Shallow Pan Fry Fish

Use hot oil for best results. This will ensure a crispy outside with a moist inside. Do not fry too slowly, as the fish will be limp and pale and might fall apart. Cover base of pan with oil. Butter adds flavour, but because it can burn, add a little oil. The frying time can vary from 6 – 8 minutes depending on thickness of the portion. To establish when the oil is ready for frying, dip a cube of bread in the oil. It should turn light brown in 90 seconds.