Braai’d Snoek with Sticky Apricot Jam Chutney
Nothing says South Africa more than a braai’d snoek with apricot jam. Local really is lekker!
Braai'd Snoek with Sticky Apricot Jam Chutney
2020-05-25 09:20:36
Sweet, sticky, smokey and delicious!
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Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
20 min
Ingredients
- 1 snoek (from your local fish deli)
- 85g butter
- 2 heaped tsp crushed garlic
- 1/2 cup apricot jam
- 1/4 cup chutney
- 1/2 lemon (squeezed)
Instructions
- Get your braai on the go and grease the grid so the snoek skin doesn't stick to it.
- Place your flecked snoek on the grid, skin side down.
- In a small pot on the stove, heat the butter and garlic and sauté for a minute or two.
- Add the jam, chutney and lemon juice and combine with a whisk into a nice sticky chutney jam.
- Allow the jam to reduce on a medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally with the whisk.
- Take the jam off the heat and allow it to cool for 5-10 minutes before basting the fish.
- Baste the snoek generously with the jam until evenly coated.
- Place the grid over the hot coals, skin side down.
- Cook on a medium heat, with the grid at its highest setting for about 15-20 minutes.
- Best enjoyed straight off the grid with your fingers!
Notes
- Do not add salt to the fish, as a proper flecked snoek would have already been salted in the process. Make sure your local fish deli has prepared your snoek properly by flecking and salting it accordingly.
- I used a braai grid with a handle so that I could quickly and easily remove from the braai once done.
- Make sure your fish deli supplies you with a good quality fish and not a "pap snoek".
The Fish Wife https://fishwife.co.za/
Whole Baked Black Bream
Hottentot or “Hottie” is another name for this super tasty fish. I absolutely love baking a whole fish, especially when it arrives scaled, gutted and completely prepped – thanks Greenfish!
What I love so much about baking a whole fish is how social the meal experience is. In my family everyone grabs a fork and tucks in straight from the pan! This recipe is super flavoursome and to me the best part is the skin which really holds all the flavour, so don’t be tempted to toss it!
Whole Baked Black Bream
2020-05-16 20:58:56
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Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
20 min
Total Time
30 min
Ingredients
- 1 whole black bream (600 - 900g)
- 2 Tbsp chopped parsley
- 1 Tbsp chopped chives
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp course salt
- 1/2 tsp crushed black pepper
- 1 tsp fish spice
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 a lemon, sliced
Instructions
- Combine the parsley, chives, garlic, salt, pepper, fish spice and olive oil to make a marinade.
- Dry the fish on both sides and score diagonally, about 1cm deep.
- Rub the marinade on both sides of the fish, working into the scored areas.
- Rub some of the remaining marinade on the inside of the fish and stuff the cavity with lemon slices.
- Place in a greased baking pan and cook at 220 degrees Celsius for 20 minutes.
- Remove and enjoy hot from the pan!
Notes
- You can substitute the fish spice for chicken spice, which is equally as delicious!
The Fish Wife https://fishwife.co.za/
The Best Tuna Melt
The Best Tuna Melt
2020-04-28 14:47:53
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Ingredients
- 250g cooked tuna
- 1/2 celery stick (chopped)
- 1 Tbsp parsley (chopped)
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 5 Tbsp mayonnaise
- 3/4 cup mozarella (grated)
- 3 Tbsp olive oil (retain 1 Tbsp for cooking)
- Salt and pepper
- Bread
- Softened butter
Instructions
- Shred the tuna.
- Add the celery, parsley, garlic, mayonnaise, mozzarella, olive oil (2Tbsp), salt and pepper.
- Butter the bread with softened butter.
- Heat a pan on a medium high heat.
- Add the remaining 1 Tbsp of olive oil.
- When the pan is hot, add one of the bread slices, and brown buttered side down.
- When the bread is starting to brown, scoop a few tablespoons of the tuna mixture onto the bread and cook a bit longer.
- Add the other piece of bread and flip the sandwich over, browning the other side.
- Remove from the pan when the bread is a lovely golden colour and the tuna melt is starting to ooze out the sides.
- Repeat this step to make more sandwiches.
Notes
- This recipe makes about 3-4 sandwiches depending on the size of your bread slices and how generous you are with your filling.
The Fish Wife https://fishwife.co.za/
Garlic Butter Prawns
Simple flavours of garlic and butter. There’s nothing fancy here and that’s what I love about it!
Garlic Butter Prawns
2020-04-30 19:30:21
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Ingredients
- 2kg Prawns
- 1 Tbsp Crushed Sea Salt
- 1 Tbsp Paprika
- 200g Butter
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 Tbsp Garlic (minced)
- Lemon wedges
Instructions
- If the prawns are frozen, allow to defrost.
- Butterfly the prawns. To butterfly, I use a pair or small sharp scissors to cut the prawn along the spine from the base of the head until the top of the tail. Leave the tail and head on.
- De-vein the prawns. To de-vein the prawns, run your fingers along the butterflied spine and pull out the visible dark vein and discard.
- Once you have butterflied and de-veined, run the prawns under cold water to clean properly.
- Allow excess water to drain off the prawns and place on a tray.
- Combine the paprika and salt. Sprinkle this spice mix on the exposed meat of the prawns where you have butterflied them. (You can sprinkle any excess spice mix over the tray of prawns when done).
- In a large skillet on medium heat, melt the butter and olive oil.
- When bubbling add the garlic and cook for a minute.
- You will need to work in batches as all the prawns will not fit in the skillet at once.
- Place the prawns in the bubbling mixture on their backs and allow to cook for 4 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside in the tray.
- Repeat with remaining prawns until all the prawns have been cooked.
- Once you have completed this step with all the prawns, place back in the skillet, this time on their sides and cook for a further 3 minutes, tossing them over half way.
- Repeat until all the prawns have been cooked.
- Enjoy with a squeeze of lemon and some lemon mayonnaise. (Lemon Mayonnaise: 4 Tbsp of mayonnaise and the juice of 1 lemon).
Notes
- I worked in the sink to defrost, butterfly and de-vein the prawns. It makes it easy to clean up the mess, rinsing while you go.
- I found the easiest tool to work with the prawns in the skillet was a pair of tongs.
The Fish Wife https://fishwife.co.za/
Red Coconut Curry Mussels
This gorgeous Autumn coloured dish is perfect for the cooler weather days which are creeping up on us! Enjoy these Thai coconut curry flavours in a big bowl over some rice. Yum!
Red Coconut Curry Mussels
2020-04-28 21:01:38
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Ingredients
- 1.5 - 2kg black mussels
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion (finely diced)
- 4 garlic cloves (minced)
- 2 Tbsp fresh ginger (grated)
- 1 Tin coconut milk
- 1 Tin coconut cream
- 100g red curry paste
- Coriander to garnish
Instructions
- De-beard the mussels
- In a large skillet pan with a lid, heat the olive oil on medium high.
- When the olive oil is hot, add the onion and sauté for about 8 minutes.
- Add the garlic and ginger and sauté for 1 minute, being careful not to burn.
- Using a whisk to gently stir, add the red curry paste, coconut milk and coconut cream and bring to a gentle boil.
- Add the mussels to the curry sauce.
- Place the lid on the skillet and allow the curry to gently boil and the mussels to steam for 10 minutes until done.
Notes
- Enjoy your saucy red coconut curry in a bowl with rice.
The Fish Wife https://fishwife.co.za/
Oysters Rockefeller
This is a favourite of mine to “jazz up” simple oysters. Impress your friends and family with this simple recipe. And if you really feel like being classy, enjoy them with a glass of bubbles – YUM!
Oysters Rockefeller
2020-04-21 20:51:28
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Ingredients
- 1 dozen shucked oysters
- 1 pack of bacon (finely diced)
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 2 small shallots (finely diced)
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 Tbsp white wine
- 1 Tbsp parmesan
- 1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
- Black pepper
Instructions
- With a knife loosen the muscle of the oyster in the shell so that they are easy to eat once cooked.
- Place the oysters on a baking tray.
- Fry the bacon in a pan until crispy.
- Remove the bacon from the pan, leaving the bacon fat behind.
- Add the butter and fry the shallots and garlic in the bacon fat butter.
- Add the wine and cook for a few minutes.
- Remove from the pan and combine with the bacon.
- Add parmesan, panko crumbs and black pepper to the bacon and shallot mixture to create the crumb topping.
- Spoon the crumb topping over the oysters.
- Bake at 200 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes.
- Enjoy with a squeeze of lemon and a glass of bubbles if desired.
The Fish Wife https://fishwife.co.za/
Lemon Pepper Ocean Trout
A lovely zesty recipe. Simple and delicious!
Lemon Pepper Ocean Trout
2020-04-26 19:11:55
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Ingredients
- 1 ocean trout fillet
- 1 small lemon (zest and juice)
- 2-3 garlic cloves (minced)
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 tsp origanum
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp crushed black pepper corns
Instructions
- Open the ocean trout packaging and pat the fish dry with paper towel on both sides.
- Cut the fish into portion sizes and set aside.
- In a dish big enough to marinade your fish, combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, oreganum, salt and pepper.
- Place the fish pieces in the marinade and cover with cling film. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.
- Remove from the fridge and flip the pieces over, cover and refrigerate for a further 10 minutes.
- Spray a baking sheet with Cook and Spray and place the pieces of ocean trout on the tray, skin side down.
- Spoon the remaining marinade over each piece of fish until they are covered nicely.
- Grill on a high heat, second rack from the top for approximately 8 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and allow to rest for a minute before serving.
The Fish Wife https://fishwife.co.za/
Mussels on the Braai
This method of cooking mussels on the braai with garlic butter and cheese stems from my childhood holidays in Port Alfred in the Eastern Cape. As a family we would enjoy picking mussels off the rocks together and later in the evening we would all sit by the open fire devouring them the minute they came off the flames! Definitely what memories are made of.
Mussels on the Braai
2020-04-26 19:24:46
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Ingredients
- 1,5kg black mussels
- 170g cheese (grated)
- 5g chives (finely chopped)
- 1 tsp garlic
- 125g butter
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- In a pot with a small amount of water at the bottom, steam the mussels for approximately 8 minutes.
- While the mussels are steaming, combine the garlic and butter.
- De-beard the mussels.
- Open the mussels discarding the half shells with no meat.
- Place the remaining mussel shells with meat on a tray and spoon a decent amount of garlic butter into each shell.
- Sprinkle the mussels with the grated cheese and chives.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Braai until garlic butter is bubbling and cheese has melted.
- Enjoy straight off the fire if you wish!
Notes
- Don't be shy about adding toppings!
The Fish Wife https://fishwife.co.za/
Teriyaki Ocean Trout
These Asian flavours do wonders for this awesome fish. Ocean Trout is an excellent substitute for imported salmon as it’s locally grown and has a smaller carbon footprint.
Teriyaki Ocean Trout
2020-04-23 20:12:41
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Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
15 min
Total Time
30 min
Ingredients
- 1 Ocean Trout Fillet
- 90ml Teriyaki sauce
- 60ml soy sauce
- 60ml orange juice (freshly squeezed or in a box)
- 60ml water
- 60ml honey
- 3 garlic cloves (minced)
- 1 Tbsp fresh ginger (grated)
- 1 small chilli (deseeded and finely chopped)
- 1 small lemon (squeezed)
- 1 Tbsp flour
- 1 Tbsp cornflour
- 1 Tbsp sesame seeds (toasted)
- 1 large spring onion (finely chopped)
Instructions
- If the sesame seeds are not toasted, quickly brown in the oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 7 minutes and set aside.
- Open the trout packing and remove the fillet. On a bread board, pat dry on both sides.
- Cut the fillet into portions and add salt and pepper.
- Spray a baking dish and place the cut portions skin side down. Set aside while you make the sauce.
- To make the sauce combine the teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, orange juice, water, honey, garlic, ginger, chilli and lemon juice.
- In a separate bowl add the flour and cornflour, and mix with a small amount of water to make a paste. Add this to the sauce mixture and stir in with a whisk until well combined.
- Heat the sauce in the microwave in 1 minute intervals, removing and stirring after each minute until it starts to thicken nicely (If it does not thicken, you can add a little bit more cornflour).
- Once the sauce is at a nice sticky consistency, pour over the trout fillets.
- Bake in the oven at 180 degrees celcius for about 15 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and place fillets on a plate. Spoon the sticky sauce onto the fillets when serving and sprinkle with sesame seeds and spring onion.
The Fish Wife https://fishwife.co.za/
5 Minute Oysters
So simple, yet so delicious!
5 Minute Oysters
2020-04-21 21:10:50
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Prep Time
5 min
Ingredients
- 1 dozen shucked oysters
- Tabasco sauce
- crushed salt
- ground black pepper
- 1 lemon
Instructions
- With a butter knife, loosen the muscle of the oyster from the shell for easy eating.
- Place oysters on a bed of crushed ice.
- Add a dash of Tabasco, salt, black pepper and a squeeze of lemon.
- Enjoy!
The Fish Wife https://fishwife.co.za/
