Category Archives: Seafood

Nov24

easy prawn and mussel #curry

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easy prawn and mussel #curry

This took me just over 15 minutes to make. Easy and delicious.

Prawn and mussel curry edited 800

Prawn and mussel curry
1 tin of diced peeled tomatoes
1 large garlic clove, grated
5 ml fresh ginger, grated
15 ml olive oil
10 ml of strong curry powder (all depends how strong you like it)
8 prawn heads
2.5 ml salt
8-10 medium prawns
15 mussels in shells

Cook the tomatoes, garlic, ginger, olive oil, salt, curry powder and prawn heads over medium heat for +-8 minutes. Stir constantly. It must have a thickish consistency. Add the prawns and mussels, cover your pot with a lid and allow to simmer for a further 8 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning. If you want you can add a dash of cream but I love it just the way it is.

Jan13

tuna-poke-bakkies + salm-poke-bakkies

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tuna-poke-bakkies + salm-poke-bakkies

Tuna Poke bowlAloha! Ek sien elke jaar verskriklik uit na wat volgende die koswêreld gaan laat gons. Die afgelope paar jaar het gefermenteerde kos, piekels en askos (kos wat op kole of met kole gemaak word) hoogty gevier. Julle wonder seker oor 2017… Wel, haal uit die hoela-hoeps en druk julle tone in die sand. Vanjaar kom die grootste kostendens, poke-bakkies, van die tropiese eiland Hawaii.
Poke-bakkies
Poke (uitgespreek as poh-keh) beteken nie die ‘poke’ wat vieslike vreemde mans op jou Facebook-blad doen of ‘n wrede gekafoefelry nie. Poke is ‘n Hawaiiese werkwoord wat ‘om te sny of te kap’ beteken. Eeue oue poke-bakkies bestaan uit gemarineerde blokkies rou seekos soos tuna, salm of seekat wat dan op rys in bakkies bedien word. Mense, dié unieke gereg is my soort kos, maar my vol nonsens, vleis, rys en aartappels Ier wou nie sy mond aan my ge-poke-ery sit nie. Ja, dit vat meer as net ‘n ge-‘poke’ om hom te verlei.
Tuna-poke-bakkies
As jy mooi daarna kyk is poke-bakkies ‘n tipe van gedekonstrueerde soesji. Soos met soesji, is die geheim dat jy die beste kwaliteit vars vis moet gebruik. Dit moet nie visserig ruik nie en jy moet dit so vinnig moontlik ná aankope gebruik. Maak ‘n sojasousmarinade van jou keuse deur byvoorbeeld gemmer, knoffel, koljander en rissies by te voeg. Ek het my vismarinade verder met sesamolie gegeur en gebalanseer met ‘n bietjie rysasyn. Met die rys kan jy ook lekker speel: gebruik gewone rys, soesji-rys, bruinrys of quinoa. Die rys word dan warm saam met die koue vis bedien. Klink miskien vreemd, maar die kontrasterende warm en koud is deksels lekker. Rond af met gerasperde beet en snytjies radyse. Heerlik, vars, voedsaam en gesond.
Salmon poke bowl

Salm-poke-bakkies
Hier het ek ‘n marinade van sojasous, gemmer, wasabi en suurlemoensap gemaak en dit met gerasperde wortels, avokado en babamielies afgerond. Ono!
Ek het nog altyd net van Hawaii gedroom: die warm seewater, die bedwelmende kleurvolle blommekranse, die polsende marimba-musiek en die vars seekos. Gelukkig kan ek nou ‘n stukkie van die droomeiland met ‘n lekker ou poke ervaar.

Stappe om poke-bakkies te maak
1. Kies die bakkies: besluit op die grootte van jou porsies
2. Kies jou basis: witrys, bruinrys, soesji-rys, basmati-rys, quinoa
3. Kies jou proteïen: tuna, salm, seekat, garnale, kammossel
4. Kies jou marinade: sojasous, knoffel, gemmer, sesamolie, rysasyn, rissies, suurlemoensap, wasabi, mayonnaise
5. Kies jou groente: wortels, beet, komkommer, radyse, avokado, sprietuie, uie, babamielies, ertjies
6. Kies jou ander geurmiddels: koljander, sesamsade, rissies, ingelegde gemmer, spruite, mikro-kruie

Tuna-poke-bakkies
Bedien 4
400 g vars tuna
60 ml sojasous
2.5 ml sesamolie
20 ml rysasyn
5 ml gemmer, gerasper
2.5 ml knoffel, gerasper
2.5 ml rissievlokkies
500 ml gaar rys van jou keuse, warm
80 ml rou beet, gerasper
2 radyse, fyn gesny
‘n handvol vars koljander, gekap
sojasous vir bediening

Sny die tuna in blokkies. Meng die sojasous, sesamolie, rysasyn, gemmer, knoffel en rissievlokkies saam. Gooi oor tuna en marineer vir ‘n uur in yskas. Skep ‘n halwe koppie rys in elke bakkie, rangskik die tuna, beet en radyse bo-op. Bedien met vars koljander en meer sojasous langs die kant.

Salm-poke-bakkies
400 g vars salm
60 ml sojasous
5 ml wasabismeer
20 ml suurlemoensap
5 ml gemmer, gerasper
500 ml gaar rys van jou keuse, warm
4 babamielies, gesny
60 ml wortels, gerasper
1 avokado, in blokkies gesny
‘n handvol vars koljander, gekap
sojasous vir bediening

Sny die salm in blokkies. Meng die sojasous, wasabi, suurlemoensap en gemmer saam. Gooi oor die salm en marineer vir ‘n uur in yskas. Skep ‘n halwe koppie rys in elke bakkie, rangskik die salm, babamielies, wortels en avokado bo-op die rys. Bedien met vars koljander en meer sojasous langs die kant.

Dec20

prawn + chicken skewers on the #braai – #ShareTheOriginal

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prawn + chicken skewers on the #braai – #ShareTheOriginal

Chicken and Prawn Skewers

To celebrate a 100 years’ of Sedgwick’s Old Brown, I made summery prawn and chicken skewers – marinated overnight in a Sedgwick’s marinade. It was a delightful combo of flavours with the sweet marinade giving the skewered chicken and prawn a deep and enchanting taste. I also made a crunchy salad with a lovely dressing. The result… a perfectly, light yet satisfying summer lunch. Scrumptious, healthy and just irresistibly delicious.

The Original Sedgwick’s Old Brown has been part of the South African history and culture for a 100 years now. No, it’s not a ‘60’s thing or a 70’s thing… it is not something that just your folks used to enjoy. Ask your grandparents…I bet they will be able to tell you a Sedgwick’s story or two…and such stories go back generations to 1916. At that time World War I was going on; the light switch was invented and Albert Einstein completed his formulation of a general theory of relativity. Since 1916, The Original Sedgwick’s Old Brown has become part of our heritage.

#ShareTheOriginal
In my student days, come June every year, we made the trek to the Grahamstown Festival. And those who know the Eastern Cape … well June is freezing cold. We used to stay in tents on the outskirts of the town, in the evenings we huddled around the fire, old faithful Sedgwick’s kept the conversation going – and kept us warm at night. I remember the many hours we sat around the fire mesmerized by Johannes Kerkorrel en die Gereformeerde Blues Band and Johnny Clegg. We also could not stop talking about the talent of Paul Slabolepszy and Andrew Buckland. More often than not, the length and depth of those conversations, depended largely on how many bottles of Sedgwick’s we had… 🙂 Those were the days.

Sedgwick's Old Brown
Prawn and chicken skewers on the braai
Serves 6
18 prawns
500 g chicken, big chunks
Marinade
100 ml Sedgwick’s Old Brown
60 ml red wine vinegar
5 ml salt
1 garlic, grated
45 ml coriander, chopped
juice and grated peel of ½ lemon
2 pinches smoked paprika (optional – I just love the smokey flavour)
5 ml chilli flakes (optional – I also love a bit of a bite)
salt and pepper

Mix all the ingredients for the marinade together and marinade the prawns and chicken for at least 4 hours. I left mine to marinade overnight. Thread chicken and prawns onto skewers (soak wooden skewers in water first to prevent scorching on a braai or grill), leaving a small gap between each piece for even cooking. Season with salt and pepper. Braai for about 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and the prawns have turned bright pink.

Crunchy vegetable salad
Serves 6
500 ml cabbage, sliced
2 large carrots, grated
200 g green beans, thinly sliced
200 g baby corn, thinly sliced
100 g unsalted cashews, crushed
2 spring onions, chopped diagonally
a large handful coriander, chopped
Salad dressing
30 ml sugar
30 ml Sedgwick’s Old Brown
45 ml vinegar
15 ml sesame oil
30 ml sunflower oil
15 ml soy sauce
1 red chilli, chopped

Chop and grate all the fresh ingredients. Mix all the salad dressing ingredients well. Mix everything together.

Aug11

#beer-battered #fish + onion rings

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#beer-battered #fish + onion rings

Beer battered fish

There is little in our culinary world that comes close to a ‘just out of the pan’ fried fish. Whenever I get the aroma of freshly fried fish I am automatically transported back to one of my most unforgettable meals. I was twenty, standing alone on the quayside of the Bosphorus River in Istanbul. It was my first overseas trip, it was Christmas day, I had bronchitis and was feeling desperately alone and dreadfully homesick … until I came across a boat filled with Turkish fisherman, unloading their catch. At the back of their boat, they were braaiing fresh fish and selling this on a bread roll with onion rings and a beer. A few minutes later I was munching on this simple meal and all of a sudden, I was lonely no more. I shall never forget that day, nor the happiness I suddenly felt sitting on a bench, eating a simple take-away.
onion rings in beer batter
I recently made my own beer-battered fresh fish and onions. It is a simple recipe. Take one cup of self-raising flour, 1 cup of beer and a large pinch of salt and voila! There you have it.

Just so you know I did not place the onion rings in ice before tossing them in the batter – as the batter tends not to stick properly… the trick with the batter is to ensure that all your ingredients are dry before dipping it in the batter.

Fish and onion rings in beer batter
Serves 4
250 ml self-raising flour
250 ml beer
2.5 ml salt
4 hake pieces, patted dry with a paper towel
2 big onions, peeled and sliced into rings (not washed nor placed in ice)
Oil for deep-frying
Maldon salt
1 lemon
4 bread rolls

Mix the flour, beer and salt. Dip both the fish and the onion rings in the beer batter to ensure they are well coated in batter, fry until brown and crisp. Sprinkle with Maldon salt and add a squeeze of lemon juice. Serve on a freshly baked bread roll with an ice-cold beer. Enjoy!

Sep15

five minute asian #mussel pot

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five minute asian #mussel pot

This easy Asian-style mussel recipe combines fresh mussels with a pungent coconut cream sauce consisting of fresh ginger, garlic, chillies and lemon. The whole process is so speedy that the total cooking time may be less than 5 minutes, depending on how fast your mussels cook!

asian mussel recipe

Five minute Asian mussel pot
Serves: 2
Cooking time: 5 min

250ml coconut cream
1 large thumb fresh ginger, grated
1 big clove or two small cloves of garlic, grated
2 green chillies, chopped
½ T freshly squeezed lemon juice
¼ t salt
400g fresh mussels (I used the Woollies frozen mussels and just defrosted a bit under warm water)
Handful of fresh coriander

Method
Bring coconut cream, ginger, garlic, chillies, lemon juice and salt to a boil. Add the mussels and simmer for 4-5 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh coriander and serve hot.

Apr22

#hake curry

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#hake curry

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Everytime Easter comes around I remember with fondness our family holidays in Durban. For a week or two we lived on ice cream and sandwiches during the day, but in the evenings when we were all beached out, sunburnt and hungry my mom made us delicious grilled fish with salads . Today with this spicy Indian hake curry I want to pay tribute ton Durban, my mom and dad and to say thank you for affording us the opportunity to slip away for our annual adventure to the coast. Such carefree and happy times for our Free State family!! 🙂

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#hake curry
 
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Author:
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 600g fresh hake, cut into large blocks
  • 1 large onion, grated (220g)
  • 3T cooking oil
  • 1T garlic, grated (about 4 cloves of garlic)
  • 1T ginger, grated (one big thumbful)
  • 2T Father-in-law masala / medium masala
  • 1 chillie, chopped
  • 1 tin chopped tomatoes
  • 1 cup water (250ml)
  • ½ tsp salt
  • Fresh coriander (lots of it)
Instructions
  1. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large pan and fry the onion for 5 minutes.
  2. Add the garlic, ginger, masala and fry for 3 minutes. At this stage if you need a bit of extra oil… add another tablespoon.
  3. Add the tin of tomatoes, water and salt and let it simmer for around 8-10 minutes.
  4. Add your hake and simmer for 7 minutes until the hake is cooked through. Do not stir it again otherwise the hake blocks will fall to pieces.
  5. Scoop this curry from the pan into a roti, add lots of coriander, roll up and enjoy.

Nov19

mrs bradfield + 1940’s anchovy toast and the gynaecologist

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mrs bradfield + 1940’s anchovy toast and the gynaecologist

In loving memory of Dorothy Bradfield.

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Watch me make this by clicking here.

{gynaecologist}
After I left school I really did not know what I wanted to do with my life so I found myself as a receptionist at the rooms of a well-known gynaecologist, Dr Goosen. He was popular, he had one glass eye and the ladies loved him – I think it was because he had a restricted view and limited eye contact when it came to examining the ladies. 🙂

{smoking}
Anyway Mrs Bradfield was the matron who worked in the same rooms – she was a fantastic woman who smoked 30 cigarettes a day. In those days you could still smoke in offices – even in the consulting rooms of the hospital. Needless to say it was Mrs Bradfield who taught me how to smoke …

{mrs bradfield}
Every morning Mrs B would order anchovy toast which I would have to go and fetch for her. We then sat down with our cup of coffee, anchovy toast and cigarettes. To this day, I still have an affinity for anchovy toast and every time I see anchovy toast I remember Mrs B.

{1940’s anchovy toast}
I did a bit of research and found the basis for this recipe in the Household of Cookery for South Africa (1941). I tweaked it a little bit and added some lemon, a pinch of cayenne pepper and parsley.

Wherever you are Mrs B, I hope that you are smiling down on me and my anchovy toast – cheers to all the memories and good times shared.

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mrs bradfield + 1940's anchovy toast and the gynaecologist
 
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Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • 5 anchovies
  • large squeeze of fresh lemon juice
  • 1 egg, hard boiled
  • 1 ½ Tbsp butter
  • large pinch of cayenne pepper
  • parsley, chopped
  • 4 slices of whole wheat toast
Instructions
  1. Put the anchovies and lemon juice in a pestle and mortar and pound till fine.
  2. Add the hard boiled egg yolk, butter and cayenne pepper and pound till fine.
  3. Spread mixture over hot toast and sprinkle with chopped parsley.
  4. Optional: You can chop the white of the egg finely and add that to the anchovy toast.

Sep2

indian-flavoured salmon on lentil dhal + friendships + fine dining

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indian-flavoured salmon on lentil dhal + friendships + fine dining

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Food, I have come to know, is a universal language. Take my friend, Leonard, and me. We were born six days apart in the same year, in the same country, but we come from vastly different backgrounds: Me from the ‘Afrikaanse Vrystaat vlaktes’; he from Durban and of Indian descent. Somewhere in between, our paths crossed. Since then, we have cried and laughed and drank for hours in the kitchen, chopping away on chillies, garlic and ginger, and making masalas. In sharing our passion for food, we have cemented a friendship full of so many wonderful ingredients.

{This recipe was inspired by an ingredient list I received from Pick n Pay for their freshlyblogged challenge #9 competition}

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Leonard has shown me all the tricks when it comes to Indian cooking. So for my fine dining dish, I wanted to pay tribute to my Gandhi, my life teacher and my friend. I want to take out the finest white linen and the finest silver and serve this Indian-flavoured salmon atop a lentil dhal. On the side, a crunchy raw beetroot and cumin salad sitting on a layer of fennel cucumber ribbons. The deconstructed milk tart, spiced with star anise, is a bit of my heritage. Both dishes brought together by the bond of friendship and spices.

So I would like to raise a glass to food journeys and friendships… And to Len: My guide and mentor on my very own passage to India.

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indian-flavoured salmon on lentil dhal + friendships + fine dining
 
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Ingredients
  • Indian flavoured salmon
  • 1tbsp olive oil
  • ½ tsp garlic, grated
  • ½ tsp ginger, grated
  • ½ tsp masala, medium
  • 200g Sea Harvest Lightly Smoked Salmon trout, defrosted and cut into 3cm x3cm blocks
  • Lentil dhal
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 2 tsp masala, medium
  • ⅓ cup cream cheese
  • 3 tbsp water
  • 1tsp red wine vinegar
  • 150g cooked lentils
  • 1tbsp fresh coriander, chopped
  • Salt
  • Beetroot + cumin salad
  • 1 cup raw beetroot, grated
  • Large pinch of cumin seeds
  • Small handful of falvourburst micro herbs
  • Salad dressing
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 3tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp mustard powder
  • ⅛ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp sugar
  • ½ tsp black pepper, milled
  • ½ tsp fresh ginger, grated
  • Cucumber ribbons
  • 50g cucumber, cut lengthwise into ribbons using a potato peeler
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp fresh fennel leaves, chopped
  • Salt
Instructions
  1. Indian flavoured salmon - Mix the oil and spices together. Rub into the fish.
  2. Heat a pan until it is smoking hot.
  3. Add the fish – skin-side down to the pan. Fry for 2 minutes. Add a drop of water to the pan and put a lid on for another minute.
  4. Take out of the pan and take the skin off the fish.
  5. Put the skin back into the pan and crisp up.
  6. Lentil dhal - Fry the oil and spices for about 2 minutes over medium heat. Add the cream cheese, water and vinegar. Cook through lightly.
  7. Take two tablespoons of the sauce out – we are going to use this when we assemble the dish.
  8. Then add the lentils to the pan and heat through.
  9. Taste for seasoning and add the coriander.
  10. Beetroot + cumin salad - Salad dressing – mix all the ingredients well together.
  11. Pour over the beetroot, cumin and flavourburst micro herbs and mix well.
  12. Cucumber ribbons - Add the olive oil to a pan and on medium heat warm the ribbons and fennel for about 3 minutes. Season with salt, remove from the heat.
  13. Cut the cucumber ribbons into 4 cm pieces and set aside.
  14. To assemble - Add the lentils in a small block mould. Stack with the fish, top it with a bit of sauce, some salmon skin and fresh herbs.
  15. On the side, place the cucumber ribbons on the plate and add the beetroot salad.

 

Spiced Milk tart cups + cinnamon twirls
 
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Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • Cinnamon twirls
  • 12 strips puff pastry, cut into 1cm x 8cm lengths
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • Milk tart cups
  • 1 cup of full-cream milk
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 1 star anise
  • Large pinch of salt
  • 1 large egg, separated
  • 1 ½ tbsp maizena powder mixed with 1 tbsp of the allotted milk
  • ½ tbsp butter (do not use margarine)
  • Cinnamon sugar mixture (left over from the twirls)
Instructions
  1. Cinnamon twirls - Brush the pastry strips with the egg wash.
  2. Mix the sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle this over the pastry. Don’t use all the sugar as we are going to use it to top the custard as well.
  3. Twist each pastry strip into a straw-like twirl.
  4. Place on baking tray and bake for approximately 11-12 minutes – until cooked and golden brown.
  5. Milk tart cups - Mix the milk, sugar, star anise and salt in pot and bring to boil.
  6. In the meanwhile beat the egg yolks and then slowly add the Maizena. Mix well.
  7. Pour this mixture very slowly in the milk mix – I use a hand egg-beater to mix it in – to avoid lumps
  8. Cook for 5 minutes till cooked.
  9. Beat the egg whites until soft peaks start to form then slowly fold this into the custard.
  10. Always taste again for seasoning.
  11. Pour into cups, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and serve with the cinnamon twirl on the side

 

 

 

 

Jul29

duo homemade samoosas

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duo homemade samoosas

This delicious recipe was inspired by a very interesting ingredient list (see list + rules at bottom of this post) I received from Pick n Pay for their freshlyblogged challenge #4 competition.

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I always wanted to make my own samoosas from scratch. The pastry + the stuffing + the folding…everything! This is what I did this week … the pilchards + beans made perfect samoosa fillings. Looking back at this amusing and time consuming exercise, the toil paid off with its own self-satisfying rewards. I learnt so much. I must confess it took me more than some time to perfect the dough-making method. After all was said and done, I looked like some kitchen drifting poltergeist all covered in flour, dough and shrapnel’s of samoosa pastry.

But … OMG I am proud of these little triangular pastry parcels – they may not be perfect in shape, nor do they have a perfectly smooth outer layer. Deep fried they look like they may have picked up a case of the measles, but let me tell you they are light, crispy and so yummy. The pilchards were hot + morish and the beans and feta were delightfully scrumptious.

home made samosa

On top of it all I decided to try the dark lighting method to shoot the samoosas (this was my first attempt) – this took another few hours but I am really proud of the outcome of my photographs. All in all it proved to be such an interesting exercise culminating in fabulous samoosas and a very contented blogger.

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Tips for making samoosas
Take your time and be patient :-).
Use a paella pan to heat the dough for the pur separation process.
If you don’t feel like making the dough you can use spring roll wrappers.
You can replace ghee with oil.
For a healthier option – bake the samoosas.
For exceptional Indian recipes – Indian Delights by Zuleikha Mayat (ISBN 062005688-6)

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duo homemade samoosas
 
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Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • Samosa Dough + Pur (the samosa pastry ready for filling)
  • 2 cups flour, sifted
  • 1tsp cumin seeds, roasted
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 2 Tbsp ghee, melted
  • ⅔ cups water
  • Extra flour for making the pur
  • Extra melted ghee for making the pur
  • Flour and water, mixed
  • Bean + feta filling
  • 1Tbsp lemon infused olive oil
  • ½ tsp yellow mustard seeds
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • ¼ tsp chilli flakes
  • 50g onions, chopped
  • 50g green beans, blanched and diced
  • 50g brown rice, cooked
  • 100g PnP Feta cheese, crumbled
  • Salt
  • Milled lemon black pepper
  • 2 Tbsp fresh coriander, chopped
  • Pilchard filling
  • 2 Tbsp cooking oil
  • 2 cardamom pods
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds
  • 1 tsp coriander powder
  • 2 tsp ginger powder
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1tsp chilli flakes
  • 2-3 tsp “Father in Law” masala or medium hot masala
  • 4 fresh curry leaves
  • 100g onion, chopped
  • 100g cabbage, chopped
  • ¼ cup tomato juice (from the sardine can)
  • 2 (100g) pilchards (from the sardine can)
  • Salt
  • Milled black pepper
  • 2Tbsp fresh coriander, chopped
Instructions
  1. Dough + pur method - Mix flour, salt and the roasted cumin seeds together.
  2. Add the ghee and mix well with the tip of your fingers.
  3. Add the water and knead into smooth dough.
  4. Set aside for 30 min to rest.
  5. Divide dough into 10 “ping pong” sized balls – +- 4cm.
  6. Roll each ball into 6-8 cm diameter round disc.
  7. Place 5 disks on top of each other after brushing both sides with ghee and sprinkle flour between them. Only the bottom of the bottom disk and the top of the top disk should be ungreased. Do the same with the other 5 discs.
  8. Roll out one pile into a large 30 cm round disc.
  9. Cut into a rectangular shape.
  10. Heat an ungreased plate, place the disc on the plate and let it heat up for a few seconds until the sheet changes in colour (not brown) – turn the sheet over – heat and then remove from the flame – this will separate the sheets.
  11. Do the same with the second pile.
  12. When cool trim the pur into two-inch strips, separate the sheets and use these for your samosas.
  13. Method for fish filling - Heat the oil on medium heat, add all the spices and cook for 2 minutes.
  14. Add the onions and cabbage and fry till translucent.
  15. Add the tomato juice and pilchards and mix well. Cook for a minute or two.
  16. Season with salt and pepper.
  17. Lastly add the fresh coriander.
  18. Bean and feta filling method - Heat the olive oil and add the mustard, cumin and chilli flakes. Fry for 2 minutes.
  19. Add the onions and fry till translucent.
  20. Add the green beans, brown rice and feta cheese – mix well.
  21. Season with salt and pepper.
  22. Lastly add the fresh coriander.
  23. Samoosa folding and frying - Mix a bit of flour and water together and smear on the sides of the pur. It acts as “glue” for the pastry.
  24. Place a teaspoon of the filling mixture at one end of the pur strip, leaving a 1cm border.
  25. Take the right corner and fold diagonally to the left, enclosing the filling and forming a triangle.
  26. Fold again along the upper crease of the triangle. Keep folding in this way until you reach the end of the strip.
  27. Fry in batches at 180 ºC until golden brown.

Samosas-6

image from xawaash.com

Samosas-5

image from xawaash.com

Ingredients + Rules for challenge #4

1 x 400g tin Lucky Star Pilchards
1 medium cabbage
1 small packet of brown rice
1 packet of green beans
250 g Pnp feta

You must use all the ingredients in the above list.
You may add two fresh ingredients.
You may add any spices of your choice.
Your dish must be cooked on the stovetop. You may not use the oven.
You can use any and all ingredients from the approved Freshly Blogged Pantry List. Olive oil, Vegetable oil, Salt, Pepper, Flours (cake, whole-wheat, bread and self raising), Baking powder, Bicarbonate of soda, Yeast, Butter, Milk, Eggs, Sugar (granulated, castor, icing, brown and treacle),Stock (powder or liquid – beef, chicken, fish, vegetable)

Mar26

sand + sunburn + salmon salad = happy family easter memories

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sand + sunburn + salmon salad = happy family easter memories

salmon salad

I think for me Easter has always been different to the somewhat traditional religious Easter festivities, you know the Friday fasting, the curried fish, chocolate eggs and Easter Sunday feast….

You see, my father was the station master at Wepener in the Free State for many years and once a year the South African Railways would give its employees and their families a free rail ticket. So every year, my mom, dad, three brothers and me would take the train down to Durbs for our Easter school holidays. It was such an adventure for us because Durban was fun … there was sun + beaches + sand. It was singing on the stages trying our best to win prizes, fighting with my brothers, building sandcastles in the sand with dad, swimming in the ocean with mom and losing ourselves in the summers of our youth.

salmon salad

For the short few days we spent there we lived on ice cream and sandwiches during the day, but at night when we were all sunburnt and after a long soak in a soothing bath, my mom used to make us fresh fish and salad for supper. The fresh salmon salad I made today is a dedication to the happy memories of those Easters past and to my folks for affording us this once a year seaside adventure.

salmon salad

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Apart from the salmon and the avocado, I got all the ingredients for the salad out of my garden. Instead of placing the salmon on top of the salad as it is usually served I decided it would be more fun to put the salad on top of the salmon – and I must say I think it looks amazing! It would be unfair for me to dictate the quantities of salad ingredients you should use as this is best left to your own discretion and mood.

Salmon Salad

I also like my salmon somewhat rare, so I prepared it that way. But the thing that really adds to the overall pop-up-flavour is the rather delicious lime and soya Asian dressing. So here’s to family, Easter, lasting memories and fresh food. Blessed Easter everyone!

sand + sunburn + salmon salad = happy family easter memories
 
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Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • 2 x 200g Fresh salmon steaks
  • For salad
  • Avocado – sliced into small blocks
  • Baby tomatoes – halved and then in three
  • Cucumber ribbons – I take my potato peeler and run it over the cucumber
  • Spring onions – finely sliced
  • Radishes – sliced into thin slices
  • Fresh coriander
  • Chillies
  • Salad dressing
  • 50 ml Soya sauce
  • Juice of one to two small limes
  • 1t Sesame oil (optional)
  • 2t Grated ginger
  • 1t Fish sauce
  • 1T Fresh coriander – chopped
  • ½t Chillie flakes
Instructions
  1. Fry your salmon for three minutes with the skin side down in a non-stick pan till skin crispy - say about 5 minutes - don’t turn it around and don’t season at this stage and let it stand to rest. The intention is to serve it luke warm not piping hot.
  2. Chop up all your salad ingredients and make your dressing by mixing everything together.
  3. Now just place this beautiful cut of fish on a plate. Place the salad on top and put the dressing on the side.
  4. I don’t add any salt at this stage and leave it to the guests to decide how much salt they need because the dressing is quite salty.

 

Feb27

cooking paupillette of lemon sole + saffron sauce with reza mahammad

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cooking paupillette of lemon sole + saffron sauce with reza mahammad

‘don’t get overwhelmed by the list ingredients – read the method first – then you will find it easy to cook my recipes’ – reza mahammad

SONY DSC

As the African sun set over the great Sundays River, I had to pinch myself… the situation was surreal, almost sublime. There I was deep in the Kwazulu-Natal bush at the Esiweni Lodge on the Nambiti Private Game Reserve … just the day before I was at my desk doing my regular duties as communications head at a leading architectural firm, dhk Architects.

For the next 48 hours, I was to be a captive in this wilderness, a captive to my senses. It wasn’t the Big 5 wild animals that roamed the reserve that were making me nervous but the prospect and sheer excitement of meeting world renowned TV Foodie and chef, Reza Mahammad. You see, he is one of my all-time food heroes and by some stroke of sheer good fortune I spent the weekend with him on what I could only describe as a culinary safari of sorts. It was such a fabulous opportunity that I could hardly contain myself. I was there representing Food24 but the truth be told I was more excited than a little girl on big red school bus venturing off to class for the very first time.

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Reza Mahammad

The lodge had embarked on a series of culinary safaris where guests would be invited to cook and share the food of well-known chef’s and personalities. It is a good formula and offers an enchanting yet educational break from the humdrum of our daily lives.

Reza Mahammad joined us later the Friday evening jetting in from Cape Town where he was promoting his new TV series. In his latest series, Reza’s African Kitchen, he explores African cuisine, from the spicy Indian influences of Zanzibar, to the indigenous dishes of Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and South Africa. Reza goes on horseback safari, tiger fishing, gets friendly with ostriches, herds sheep, snorkels and more all in an unsatiable endeavour to uncover the diversity of flavours and fabulous ingredients which populate the food heritage of Southern Africa. Back in his own breath-taking African kitchen, Reza uses his travels as inspiration to create his own delicious dishes with a spicy Indian twist!

But now back to the Friday night at the lodge – I was anxious, apprehensive and excited – the spirit of this man and his culinary talents preceded him. Yet, it was odd, I loved the work of this chef before I had even met him…But after spending two days as an apprentice-like food groupie of sorts, I was hanging around his apron tails for the better part of two days … I think I can call him friend. What an individual! What a down to earth talent and yet of such humble and generous spirit. Reza is exactly the way he is on television – open, full of laughter fun and excitement – but what strikes you almost immediately is his dedication and enthusiasm for his work his passion and his food. He started in the kitchen at 6am with Damon (Esiweni chef) in the morning to prep for our workshops – and finished that evening with dessert just before 9.45 pm. To say he is a workaholic would be somewhat of an under exaggeration. Where the energy and passion comes from can only be put down to his deep love of his craft. A craft of which he is a master. He is so proficient – even almost belligerent in the best of ways, he never uses any measuring equipment – it is just a dash of this, a sprinkle of that a few spices here… and there you go – another Reza creation. There are neither airs nor a graces about this man, he preps, cleans and chats and somewhere in-between these masterful dishes just seem to appear.

Through it all we laughed till our bellies were sore, we chatted about food and tips and his new ventures and adventures. We sipped on this, savoured that and let ourselves get lost in this wilderness of food, flora and fauna.

reza mahamma - esiweni lodge

Esiweni Lodge

My lodgings for the next two days was an opulently furnished suite perched high above the meandering Sunday’s river. It was a citadel in the sky, luxurious and just too beautiful all at the same time. My cliff-top chalet had its own private deck with just the most magnificent, sprawling views. I need’nt have gone anywhere and could have sat for the entire weekend sipping endless G&T’s in the rim-flow pool taking in the breathtaking vista and just talking to myself and the animals. I would have done so if it were not for the scheduled game drive which took us into the veld to explore God’s beautiful creatures in the cool of the setting sun.

There were elephants, birds, strange sounds and nature-filled silences, the rustle of bushes and fluttering heartbeats. From the exotic to the unusual – these wild and wonderous creatures seemed to linger in balance around the environs of the lodge. There were no doubt many more creatures wandering around the greater reserve. But the most amazing thing of the lodge was its people – their motto is you come as guests and you leave as friends – it’s so true. The managing couple Natie and Magda are such an engaging and exceptional couple who exude the finesse and hospitality that brings the real charm to this natural hideaway.

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Food

I learnt loads of interesting things which I will share in future in my future blog posts. But for now, one of the workshops that we did with Reza on the Saturday is what I want to share ….it is this amazing dish called Paupillette of Lemon Sole with saffron sauce. This dish epitomises Reza’s love for the “Frindien” cuisine, combing classic French food with an Indian twist. This is a not an easy task but this genius does it so brilliantly – this dish not only looks elegant and refined, but the taste is subtle yet complex. The white fish contrasts beautifully with the yellow sauce. This is a perfect dish to impress the best – without having to slave for hours in the kitchen. Don’t be alarmed by the list of ingredients because the preparation is actually quite straightforward. As Reza said – “ don’t get overwhelmed by the ingredients – read the method first – then you will find it easy to cook my recipes’.

cooking paupillette of lemon sole + saffron sauce with reza mahammad
 
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Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • Paupillette of Lemon Sole with saffron sauce
  • Serves 4
  • 6 x 140 – 160g fillets of lemon sole, trimmed, skinned and filleted
  • 150ml dry white wine or Vermouth
  • For the filling
  • 300g raw prawns (net weight, after being shelled and de-veined)
  • 1 tsp grated ginger 2 tbsp finely chopped chives
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped dill 1 tbsp finely chopped coriander
  • Zest of 1 lemon plus juice of ½ a lemon ¼ tsp roughly crushed fennel seeds
  • ¼ tsp chilli flakes salt to season
  • For the Sauce
  • 2 tbsp rapeseed (canola) or vegetable oil1 tsp fennel seeds
  • 2 shallots, finely chopped 2 cloves crushed garlic
  • 1 tsp grated ginger 1 chopped green chilli
  • ½ tsp saffron 1 tbsp. chopped coriander
  • 200ml double cream salt to season
Instructions
  1. To make the filling - Blitz the prawns coarsely in a food processor. Decant into a bowl and mix in all the remaining ingredients. Divide into six portions and set aside.
  2. Place the sole fillets, with the side that had the skin face up. Lightly season with salt and pepper.
  3. Place a portion of the prawn stuffing on the fillets. Roll the fillets, starting with the thickest part and finishing with the tail.
  4. Place on a roasting tray and pour the dry white wine or vermouth over the fish.
  5. Cover with a grease parchment paper and place in a preheated oven at 180C for 10-12 minutes until the fish is tender.
  6. To make the sauce - Whilst the fish is in the oven, heat the oil in a pan until hot. Add the fennel seeds and allow them to pop for a few seconds. Add the chopped shallots, garlic, ginger and finely chopped chilli. Reduce the heat to medium.
  7. Cook until the onions are soft and transparent.
  8. Once the fish has finished cooking, remove the soles from the oven and pour the juices from the roasting tray into the sauce. Set the fish aside, cover and keep warm.
  9. To the sauce, add the saffron and coriander. Reduce the liquid to half so the flavours intensify. Add the cream and continue to cook for a couple of minutes until the sauce has thickened, become glossy and coats the back of a spoon.
  10. Strain through a fine sieve, and squeeze out all the juices to maximise the flavours. Adjust seasoning.
  11. To plate up - Cut the sole into halves, allowing 3 halves per portion. Arrange on a plate with the sauce around.
  12. Serve with the glazed carrots with maple syrup and mustard seeds.

 

Esiweni Lodge: +27(0) 36-636-9002
Emails: reservations@esiweni.coza
Reza: @rezamahammad (twitter)

Oct3

“viskoekies en tamatiesmoor” – dressed up for a night at the opera

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“viskoekies en tamatiesmoor” – dressed up for a night at the opera

“viskoekies en tamatiesmoor” - dressed up for a night at the opera

Open fish cake lasagna + tomato and gherkin relish – I grew up with fish pasta made with tinned pilchards for Saturday lunch so when Babs invited me for lunch this Saturday past – I knew what was on the menu. I asked my mom to wait for me to get to her place – I grabbed my copy of You can with Fish by Tamsin Snyman and rushed over to her house all inspired. I wanted to show her something different …for all too often we get caught up in the routine, making the recipes we know in the same way we have always made them.

“viskoekies en tamatiesmoor” - dressed up for a night at the opera

We decided to try Tamsin’s fish cakes (love her use of potatoes in the dish) but replaced the tuna with pilchards – and as I am always prone to do… I added lots of fresh herbs, extra lemon and a Dhanya and Chillie sauce I discovered. We served it with a lasagna sheet and a tomato and gherkin relish. The gherkin gives it that beautiful tanginess and just complements the dish in an extraordinary way. It is kind of like “Viskoekies en tamatie-smoor” just dressed up and off to see the opening night of Verdi’s famous opera, La Traviata… and so, so simple.

Try it. I promise you it will make your heart sing!

10 Famous Italian Operas

1. Aida, by GiuseppeVerdi
2. Cavalleria Rusticana, by Pietro Mascagni
3. Il Barbiere de Siviglia, by Gioachino Rossini
4. La Gioconda, by Amilcare Ponchielli
5. La traviata, by Giuseppe Verdi
6. L’elisir d’amore, by Gaetano Donizetti
7. Madama Butterfly, by Giacomo Puccini
8. Nabucco, by Giuseppe Verdi
9. Norma, by Vincenzo Bellini
10. Pagliacci, by Ruggero Leoncavallo

Opera info from yusypovych.com

“viskoekies en tamatiesmoor” - dressed up for a night at the opera

 

“viskoekies en tamatiesmoor” - dressed up for a night at the opera
 
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Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • For fish cakes
  • 1 ½ Medium potatoes
  • ½ Tin sardines + tomato sauce [210g]
  • 1 Egg
  • 1T Bread crumbs [my mom uses all the crumbs from the bottom of her rusks packets – very good idea mom!]
  • 2T Fresh parsley - chopped
  • 1T Fresh coriander – chopped
  • ½ t Chillie flakes – optional
  • ½ T Dhanya and chillie sauce (i discovered this last week in the shop - it adds a lovely zing to this particular dish)
  • 1 Spring onions – chopped
  • Juice of ½ lemon
  • Salt to taste
  • Black pepper to taste
  • Sunflower oil for frying
  • For lasagna sheets
  • 4 Lasagna sheets – one sheet per person
  • For tomato and gherkin relish
  • ½ Onion – chopped
  • 1T Olive oil
  • 250g Small rosa tomatoes
  • 200g Dill gherkins – chopped finely
  • 1T Dhanya and chillie sauce
  • 2ml Salt (or to taste)
Instructions
  1. For potatoes – peel potatoes and boil till soft. Drain well and mash. Set aside.
  2. For fish cakes – mix all the ingredients for the fish cakes and the mashed potatoes together. In a non-stick pan add some oil and fry the little patties until golden brown on both sides.
  3. For relish – fry the onion in pan till the onion is soft and translucent. Add the tomatoes and close the lid for about 8-10 minutes. The tomatoes will burst open, bringing a splash of flavour. Add the gherkins and the salt and mix together. Cook for another minute or two.
  4. For the lasagna sheets – boil with salt as per the instructions on the packet.
  5. To assemble - Put some of the Dhanya and chillie sauce at the bottom of the plate, place or arrange the lasagna pasta sheet on top of the sauce then place the fish cakes on top of your lasagna pasta sheet adding the relish to top off this awesome, but so easy little dish.

 

Jul16

whole baked fish + origanum + lemon + olives + tomatoes = mediterranean feast

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whole baked fish + origanum + lemon + olives + tomatoes = mediterranean feast

whole baked fish + origanum + lemon + olives + tomatoes=mediterranean feast

Fish – I just love fresh fish. But… I am a “no fuss fish” person – I am not one for these complicated fish recipes…the simpler, the better. Just baked or grilled or with the some subtle flavourings of lemon and herbs or just cooked whole over the coals – that’s my preference.

My most memorable meal consisted of fish. I recall so vividly the time I spent in Istanbul, Turkey…I had the most dreadful case of bronchitis and was feeling significantly sorry for myself. I was ambling along the Bosphorus River when I smelt this amazing aroma…. A local fishing boat was tied up alongside the pier and the fishermen were selling freshly grilled fish on ciabatta bread, with just a squeeze of lemon juice. A bite … and at that moment I felt so much better and I knew someone loved me.

whole baked fish + origanum + lemon + olives + tomatoes=mediterranean feast

I buy my fish from Julie Carter from Ocean Jewels in Cape Town (http://www.oceanjewels.co.za/ 083 582 0829) – if you don’t know Julie – go to her website and subscribe to her mailer. She is such a wonderful woman with the most beautiful smile and is always there to deliver ONLY the freshest of fresh fish to you! You simply cannot get better than that.

This past Saturday, down at the market, Julie recommended that I sample two little Pangas (Pterogymnus Laniarius its Latin name and it’s also on the sustainable green list). I decided to combine the fish with real Mediterranean flavours of olives, origanum, tomatoes and lemon. This dish reminds me of Turkey – and all the wondrous colours, sights, sounds and smell of the Mediterranean. It makes me feel loved and happy.
Enjoy its delicious!

whole baked fish + origanum + lemon + olives + tomatoes=mediterranean feast

whole baked fish + origanum + lemon + olives + tomatoes = mediterranean feast
 
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Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • 2 Small whole fish - I used Panga +-500g each
  • 2 Cloves garlic sliced
  • Olive oil for drizzling over the fish and at the bottom of the baking tin
  • ¼ t Dried origanum
  • 1 Lemon, sliced
  • Juice of one lemon
  • 1 Bunch of spring onions
  • Olive oil
  • 250g Cherry tomatoes
  • 100g Calamata olives
  • White pepper for seasoning (I love white pepper with fish)
  • Salt for seasoning
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 200 °C.
  2. Pat fish dry with kitchen towel.
  3. Make small incisions into fish, placing the sliced garlic in the slits + fill the tummy of the fishes with olives, spring onions and sliced lemon.
  4. Drizzle with olive oil and season with origanum, salt and pepper.
  5. Add the rest of the ingredients to the pan and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
  6. Bake for 20 minutes with foil on or closed.
  7. Turn the oven onto grill, remove the foil + squeeze the lemon juice over and grill for 5-10 minutes.
  8. Serve with a fresh salad and bread.
  9. Enjoy its delicious.

 

May31

20 minutes + salmon + asian broth = healthy hot winter warmer

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20 minutes + salmon + asian broth = healthy hot winter warmer

20 minutes + salmon + asian broth=healthy hot winter warmer
I am by nature a foodie and as foodies go, we all have our foodie idols … One of my foodie idols is Chef Peter Tempelhoff – not only is he a great chef but also not too shabby on the eye – oh, who am I kidding everyone … he is hot! And if you come to my office you will see an A3 poster of him hanging next to my desk … but to my utter dismay two of my wonderful colleagues Johann and Pieter gave Chef Tempelhoff a mustache and a tattoo 🙂 … Anyway, two weeks ago I attended the Table of Peace and Unity lunch on the slopes of our wonderful Table Mountain and Peter Tempelhoff was one of the chefs responsible for the starter [miso sesame cured salmon and ginger prawn spring roll with soja jalapeno dressing]. I don’t know if it was the dish or perhaps him walking past that inspired me to do something hot with salmon. So later in the week I visited my Chinese supermarket for some ingredients and over the weekend made this really delicious, salmon in a hot and sour Asian broth. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did! It’s so easy … so tasty and so fresh … and cheers to the hot chef who inspired me to make this dish!

20 minutes + salmon + asian broth = healthy hot winter warmer
 
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Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 150g x 4 Skinless salmon steaks
  • Salt and black pepper
  • For broth
  • 1L Chicken stock (I use stock cubes for this – that’s what they do in Asia :-))
  • 2-3 Green chillies (...if you like things a little hotter, spice it up with one more ... but not too many as it will overpower your dish )
  • +-20cm piece of lemongrass – crushed with the back of your knife and cut into pieces (if you cannot find it but you do stay in Cape Town – contact me, I have a huge bush in my garden!)
  • 1 Garlic clove – finely sliced
  • 1 Thumb size piece of fresh ginger – finely sliced
  • ¼ Cup of soya sauce
  • 4ml Sesame oil - just under a teaspoon (be very careful that you don’t overdo the sesame oil)
  • Juice of 2 limes (small) or 1 lemon
  • 2 Spring onions – chopped diagonally into thin slices
  • Handful of fresh coriander – roughly shredded by hand
  • Bean sprouts to garnish and to add some crunch
Instructions
  1. In a saucepan or pot add all the ingredients for the broth – except the spring onions, coriander and bean sprouts. Bring to the boil and simmer for about 5-10 minutes allowing all the flavours to infuse.
  2. In a non stick pan fry the salmon until brown on both sides - +-2-3 minutes on each side should do. The salmon must still be rare inside – but you must be able to flake it with a fork. Season with salt and pepper.
  3. To serve: Pour some of the broth through a sieve into a 4 bowls, add some spring onion and coriander. Put the salmon in the middle of the bowls and add some bean sprouts to garnish. I love fresh ginger so I always add the ginger I used for the broth in my bowl.
  4. Tuck in and enjoy!

 

May17

malay infused seafood soup

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malay infused seafood soup

malay infused seafood soupThis is my all-time favourite winter soup recipe. It lies very close to my heart for two reasons – I was introduced to this recipe by my wonderful chef friend, Louis Verwey (the recipe was very different then and I developed it as I went along into what it is today) and secondly this recipe took me through to the Top 50 of Masterchef SA and earned three overwhelming and resounding yes’s from judges Andrew, Bennie and Pete. My Masterchef journey was an incredible experience, it was an amazing roller coaster ride of emotions, nerves and sheer excitement but the best part was meeting all the fantastic people who all share a common passion – cooking! This adventure re-ignited in me the fire and a burning desire to learn and share in the fun, frivolity and sheer pleasure that comes with cooking and everything culinary. I am very proud to have made it into the Top 35 only to be booted out on the potato challenge. Needless to say I have not cooked or peeled a potato again – but that is a story for another day…enough about me…back to this exquisite soup …

malay infused seafood soup
 
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Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • For the stock
  • 1 celery stick, chopped (with the leaves)
  • 1 onion, cut in half (I keep the skin on - I only peel the onion if I want to make a clear stock)
  • 1 carrot, chopped (…again keep the skin on – didn’t we learn that all the nutritional value lies in the skin?)
  • 5 black pepper corns
  • 2 cardamom pods
  • 1 clove of garlic cut in half
  • 1 small bunch of parsley
  • 350g white fish – I use small whole hakes which I cut into chunks
  • 800ml water
  • 1 clove garlic, finely grated
  • Seafood
  • 24 mussels in ½ shell
  • 400 g kingklip (or any other firm white fish), cut into cubes of +- 2.5cm x 2.5cm
  • 12 de-veined prawns with shells – I love to keep heads on – if you do take the heads off, don’t discard these….add them to your stock
  • Other ingredients
  • 30g butter
  • 45 ml flour
  • 10 ml masala (I mix my own from the following ground ingredients: 15 ml turmeric, 15ml cumin, 10 ml coriander, 10 ml fennel, 15 ml hot “curry powder” this you can get from your local spice shop or supermarket)
  • 30 ml tomato paste
  • 1 ½ chicken stock cube, crumbled
  • 2 large tomatoes, peeled and finely chopped
  • Juice of ½ small lemon
  • For the gremolata
  • 30 ml chopped parsley
  • 1 clove garlic, finely grated
  • Zest of one lemon
  • One big squeeze of lemon juice
  • 30 ml olive oil
Instructions
  1. Prepare your stock by adding the first 9 ingredients in a pot and let it simmer for 20 minutes.
  2. Take the mussels and place them in a sieve and then put it in the stock to cook for 2 minutes. I do this to infuse the juices in the stock (and to defrost if still frozen). Take out and leave aside.
  3. Repeat the same process with the prawns – leave to simmer for about 3-4 minutes in the stock. Take out and set aside
  4. Take the stock and strain through a very fine sieve. Set aside. (You can discard the stock ingredients but it does make for a very nutritious and fishy treat for my two canine children!)
  5. Add the finely grated garlic to this stock.
  6. Now, melt the butter in a pot. Add the flour to make a roux. Stir for about 2-3 minutes. Then add the tomato paste and masala. Stir well.
  7. Add the warm stock - ladle by ladle - whisking briskly to make sure it does not form lumps. Once you have added the stock, bring it up to simmer - you will see that it has now thickened.
  8. Add the stock cube and the chopped tomatoes. Cook for about 5 minutes. Stir well.
  9. Now add the raw fish and let it simmer for +-3 minutes, then add the prawns and mussels.
  10. Add the lemon juice and stir lightly – be careful not to break the fish! Season for taste by adding salt and pepper, lemon juice.
  11. Simmer for a 5-10 minutes.
  12. Lastly, mix the last 4 ingredients together to make the gremolata and set aside
  13. To serve – in the bottom of a soup bowl put a dollop of the gremolata. Take the prawns out of the soup and place 2 prawns on each plate, add 3 or more pieces of fish. Strain the fish soup through a sieve and pour in the bowl around the fish and prawns. Add 3-4 mussels on top.
  14. Garnish with a few drops of gremolata on top. Serve immediately.