Red rock cod, bacon, fermented chilli stir fry (serves 2)

Recipe thanks to Chef Jai Gibbons


Ingredients

  • 1 red rock cod, filleted and diced
  • 2 rashers of bacon diced
  • 1-2 tablespoons of fermented chilli bean paste
  • 1 knob of ginger finely grated
  • 1 tin water chestnuts, quartered
  • 1 bunch shallots cut into 1 inch batons
  • 1 bunch of coriander
  • 100g firm tofu cut into 2cm x 1cm chunks
  • 2 sticks of celery sliced into half moons
  • 100g flour
  • 2 tablespoons of toasted sesame seeds
  • Salt
  • White pepper
  • 30ml Shaoxing wine
  • 150mls veg oil
  • Jasmine rice
  • abalone (optional) and if you can find one

 

Method

 

Fish / veg

Heat a wok to a high heat with 120mls of veg oil. Mix diced fish with flour and shake excess off, quickly fry in the hot oil in batches until golden and 50% cooked. Remove from wok and let it drain on paper towel. Remove most of the oil from the wok and quickly cook celery, water chestnuts and shallots for a few minutes while tossing on a high heat. You want them to have just started to cook but still be crunchy. Remove from the wok and set aside in a bowl.

Abalone

Give your abalone a wash and a bit of a scrub/rub to remove any dirt or sand. Put a heavy based pan on the lowest your burner/stovetop can go and add a tiny bit of oil place the whole abalone in flesh side down and let it cook for between 20-30 minutes. It should only lightly colour. Turn the heat off and let the abalone rest and relax. Remove the abalone from the shell and remove the guts. Cut the abalone into 3mm batons.

Stir fry

Heat the wok to a medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of oil, add diced bacon and cook until the fat has rendered, add the ginger and cook for about 1 minute until fragrant. Add the Shaoxing wine and reduce by half. Add the fermented chilli paste and cook out for a few minutes add a pinch of white pepper. Then add about 40mls of water to the sauce and stir until combined. add the fish back to the wok, toss the fish to coat with the sauce then add the vegetables and abalone(optional) back in and toss until the sauce coats everything and it is nice and hot. Garnish with coriander and sesame seeds and serve with some steamed jasmine rice.


Crispy skin blue morwong, lemon butter sauce and roasted fennel (serves 2)

Thanks Chef Jai Gibbons

Ingredients

  • 1 medium sized blue morwong, scaled, filleted skin on, pin boned.
  • 80g butter unsalted
  • 2 heads of fennel
  • 1 small lemon (zested and kept for fennel)
  • 1/2 bunch of chives finely sliced
  • 30ml olive oil
  • 50ml white wine (optional)
  • 30ml veg oil
  • Fennel seeds
  • Tablespoon of flour.
  • salt

Method

Fennel

Cut each head of fennel in half length ways and each half into 3 wedges and lay them in a baking dish, add white wine, olive oil, salt, lemon zest and fennel seeds over the top of the fennel. Cover with foil and bake for about 15 minutes on 180c. Remove the foil and continue to bake them until coloured on top and the fennel is tender.

Fish sauce

Preheat a heavy based pan or cast iron pan to a high heat. Lightly season your portions of blue morwong with salt and coat the skin with flour, dust off any excess flour and add the veg oil to the pan. Place the morwong skin side down into the pan and apply a light pressure on the back of the fish with a fish flip/spatula. Reduce the heat to a medium heat and continue to cook until the skin becomes golden and the fish is about 70% cooked. Add 1 tablespoon of butter to the pan and the flip the fish and baste with the butter until the skin looks delicious and crisp. Remove the fish from the pan and place on your serving dish or plate.

Add the remaining butter to the pan and cook until the butter is foaming and just starting to colour. Squeeze the lemon juice into the butter and remove from the heat. Add the chives and about 30-50mls of water to the pan and swirl the pan until the sauce thickens slightly.

Spoon the sauce onto the plate with the fish but not over the skin as it will make it less crisp.

Serve with the roasted fennel and a light salad. Rocket would go nicely.

Leather jacket satay, spicy peanut sauce (SERVES 2)

Thanks Chef Jai Gibbons


Ingredients-

4 medium sized leatherjackets cut into strips and put onto skewers

For marinade

  • 1 tablespoon Sunflower Oil
  • 1 Garlic Clove (crushed)
  • 1 Long Red Chillies (chopped)
  • 1 tsp White Pepper (ground)
  • 1 tablespoon Ground Coriander Seeds
  • 1 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
  • 1 tablespoon Ground Cumin
  • 1 tsp Shrimp Paste or fish sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Light Soy Sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Kecap Manis (Indonesian sweet soy sauce)

For sauce

  • 1 tablespoon Peanut Oil
  • 1 Garlic Clove (crushed)
  • 1 Asian Eschalot (red, finely chopped)
  • 2 Small Red Chillies (thinly sliced)
  • ¼ cup Smooth Peanut Butter
  • ½ cup Light Coconut Milk
  • 2 tablespoons Kecap Manis (Indonesian sweet soy sauce)
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
  • 1 teaspoon Light Soy Sauce
  • 50g Unsalted Roasted Peanuts (crushed)½ Lime

Marinade Method

Heat all ingredients in the marinade list, in a wok or small pot for about 5-8 minutes on a medium heat until fragrant and slightly thick, remove from the wok or pot. Let cool and coat the leatherjacket skewers with marinade.

Spicy peanut sauce-

for the spicy peanut dipping sauce, heat oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic, eschalot and chilli, and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until softened. Add peanut butter, coconut milk, kecap manis, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce and a pinch of salt. Reduce heat and gently simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes until the ingredients are combined. Add crushed peanuts, lime juice and 1/4 cup (125ml) water, then return to a simmer and cook for a further 2 minutes until reduced slightly. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Grill skewers of leatherjacket, serve with spicy peanut sauce over the top or as a dipping sauce, serve with steamed jasmine rice and Asian greens.



Herb and parmesan crumbed Garfish, tartare sauce (serves 2)

Thank you Chef Jai Gibbons


Ingredients

  • 4 garfish butterflied and pin boned
  • 3 tablespoons of parsley, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons of dill, finely chopped
  • 1 cup breadcrumbs
  • ¼ cup of parmesan microplaned/finely grated
  • 1 lemon zested
  • 1 egg
  • 100ml milk
  • ½ cup flour
  • 100g mayonnaise (kewpie brand is good, or make it yourself)
  • 1 gherkin or pickled cucumber, finely diced
  • 1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and roughly chopped
  • 100ml veg oil
  • Salt
  • Cracked black pepper
  • Method-

 

Fish

Mix the bread crumbs, parmesan, lemon zest, 2 tablespoons of parsley, 1 tablespoon of dill, pinch of salt and pepper in a bowl. Whisk the egg and milk together in a bowl and place the flour in another bowl.

Lightly season the fish with salt, dip into the flour, dust the excess off. Dip into the egg mix, then remove and place into the crumbs. Gently coat the fish.

Heat the oil in a cast iron or heavy based pan to a moderate heat. Place the fish in skin side down and cook until the crumbs are golden then turn and cook golden again and remove from the pan. Place on some paper towel to remove excess oil and lightly sprinkle some salt and cracked black pepper over the fish.

Serve with chips and salad.

Tartare sauce

Add chopped gherkin or pickles, capers, 1 tablespoon of chopped dill, 1 tablespoon of chopped parsley, 1 pinch cracked black pepper, squeeze of lemon juice to taste. To the mayonnaise of your choice.

Crispy skin black drummer, beurre noisette, boulangère potatoes (serves 2)

Thanks Chef Jai Gibbons


Ingredients list

  • 1 medium sized black drummer (filleted skin on)( bones and head cleaned)
  • 4 medium Desiree/red skin potatoes
  • 150g butter
  • 1 tablespoon capers (rinsed and drained)
  • 1 bunch of parsley
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • 1 stick of celery (cut into chunks)
  • 1 onion (cut into chunks)
  • 1 carrot (peeled and cut into chunks)
  • 1 lemon
  • 1 sprig rosemary
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1 sprig of thyme
  • 200mls of drummer stock
  • 30ml of veg oil

 

Method

Stock- take the head and frame from the black drummer and rinse in cold water until all the blood is gone, remove the eyes and gills from the head. Add to pot with 1.5l water, carrot, onion, and celery. Bring to boil and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Skim the fat and scum regularly. Take off the heat and let it rest and then strain.

Boulangère potatoes-thinly slice potatoes, using a mandolin helps, layer them like fish scales in a baking dish, add a pinch of butter, very small amount of salt and pepper and a few pieces of thyme, rosemary and bay leaf on each layer. Repeat until all the potatoes have been used up. Top the final layer with olive oil, salt pepper and herbs. Add 200mls of drummer stock and wrap with foil. Bake for around 30 minutes, remove foil and bake until slightly golden on top.

Crispy skin fish-portion the drummer fillets into manageable sized portions usually 2-3 portions per fillet. Score the portions. Leave the portions skin side up with paper towel on the skin until dry.

Preheat a heavy based or cast iron pan to a high heat, add the veg oil and heat until shimmering. Sprinkle salt over the fish skin and gently place it skin side down in the pan.

Press down on the fish slightly and let it relax in the pan so the skin lies flat. Turn the pan down to medium and continue cooking until the skin is crisp and golden and the fish is about 70% cooked. Add 30g of butter and flip the fish over and spoon the foaming butter over the skin for about 20 seconds. Remove the fish from the pan and put it onto the serving plates. Quickly add the remaining butter to the pan and add the capers and parsley and cook until crisp and the butter starts to brown. Squeeze some lemon juice in and take off the heat. Spoon the capers, parsley and brown butter over the fish. Serve with the boulangère potatoes and enjoy.


Pan seared squid, squid ink vinaigrette (serves 2)

Thanks Chef Jai Gibbons


Ingredients

  • 1-2 whole squid (legs gently removed and ink sac separated)
  • 50g butter
  • 30ml veg oil
  • 200ml olive oil
  • 50ml white wine
  • 70ml red wine vinegar
  • 1 sprig of thyme
  • 1 red chilli, sliced
  • 1 clove of garlic, sliced
  • ½ tsp toasted fennel seeds
  • 1 large eschallot finely diced or ¼ small brown onion finely diced
  • salt
  • Optional-
  • Rice/salad/pasta/chips

Method

Squid ink vinaigrette

Heat 50mls of olive oil on a moderate heat in a small pot. Add chilli, garlic and thyme. Continue stirring often until the garlic starts to go golden then add the diced eschallot or onion and cook until soft. Increase the heat to high and add the white wine and red wine vinegar, cook until reduced by half. Turn the heat down to low, add fennel seeds and carefully pierce the ink sack from the squid while holding it over the pot. Cook for at least 5 minutes then add the remaining 150mls of olive oil while whisking until combined. Add salt to taste.

Cooking the squid

Take your squid and gently remove the legs and innards without popping the ink sack. Wipe the inside of the squid out. Carefully score the squid hood 70% through about 6-10 times along the hood depending on the size. Heat a heavy based pan to a high heat and add 30ml of veg oil. Season the squid lightly with salt and pepper. Place squid score side down into the smoking pan and press it down with a spatula for about 30 seconds or until a light golden colour has formed. Flip the squid and add 50g of butter and spoon the foaming butter over the squid for 30 seconds – 1 minute. The squid should be just cooked with a nice golden colour on the presentation side. Remove from the pan and slice into 3 pieces then place onto the plate and dress with the squid ink vinaigrette. Serve with your choice of garnish such as pasta, salad, chips, or rice. All will work equally as well with the flavour combination.

Luderick and lentil curry (serves 2)

Thanks to Chef Jai Gibbons


Ingredients

  • 2 medium sized ludericks, filleted, skin off and diced
  • 1 clove garlic(diced)
  • 1 knob ginger(diced)
  • 1 brown onion (diced)
  • 1 tomato(diced)
  • 2 red chilli, (diced)
  • Turmeric powder 1 tablespoon
  • Cumin seeds, toasted and ground 2 tablespoon
  • Coriander seeds toasted and ground 2 tablespoon
  • Black mustard seeds, 1 tablespoon
  • Fenugreek, ½ teaspoon
  • Curry leaves (optional)
  • Ghee or veg oil 50ml
  • 1 tin of lentils or half a cup of dried brown lentils.
  • Salt
  • Pepper

Optional

  • Rice
  • yoghurt
  • coriander to garnish
  • roti
  • poppadom’s

 

Method

Heat ghee or oil on a high heat in a large saucepan or pot and add black mustard seeds. Cook until they start popping. Add the curry leaves and fry in the oil until fragrant. Turn the pan down to medium and add the garlic, ginger, and chilli. Cook until garlic is starting to go slightly golden and fragrant. Add the remaining spices and cook until combined and dry.. Add the onions and cook for another 5-10 minutes until the onions are tender and translucent. Add the tomato and cook until it is broken down and reduced Add a small pinch of salt to help build flavour. Add your lentils. If using tinned lentils strain them and use less water in the next part. If using dried lentils add them to the pan and toast them of for a few minutes before adding 500mls of water and cooking with the lid on. Adjust the amount of water through the cooking process to keep it a nice consistency. Cook for 30 minutes – 1 hour. Topping up the water as required. Once the lentils are tender and the flavour is developed adjust your seasoning and lightly season the diced fish, add your diced luderick and quickly stir through while raw. (make sure the fish is submerged). Put the lid on and let it cook gently for 5-8 minutes. (do not stir at this point or the fish will break up and lose its texture.)

Serve with steamed basmati rice, fresh coriander, yoghurt and your choice of roti or poppadom’s.

Eastern Cray Mornay (Serves 2)

Thanks to Chef Jai Gibbons


Ingredients

  • 1 eastern crayfish
  • 500mls full cream milk
  • 40g butter
  • 40g flour
  • 100g sharp cheddar cheese
  • Chives (finely sliced and stems set aside for sauce)
  • Bay leaves
  • Olive oil
  • Salt
  • Black pepper
  • Optional-
  • Chips/roast potatoes
  • Fresh salad (Radicchio, radish, rocket, fennel etc)

 

Method

Mornay sauce

Put milk to a small pot with 2 bay leaves and the bottom part of the chives, add to the heat and slowly bring up till simmering. Turn the heat off and let it infuse. Strain the milk into a small jug or bowl. Clean the pot and add the butter and heat until foaming, add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon until combined. Cook on a medium heat, stirring for 1-2 minutes or until blonde in colour. Add the warm milk gradually while continuously whisking allowing the sauce to thicken before each addition of milk. Once all the milk is added continue whisking until there are no lumps and the sauce thickens. Turn off the heat and add the grated cheese while stirring until incorporated. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside and cover with baking paper so a skin does not form.

Crayfish

Preheat oven to 160c. Put a large pot of water on the stove and bring to the boil. Blanch the crayfish for 1 minute and remove from the water (this helps the meat to come away from the shell). Cut the crayfish in half and season lightly with salt, pepper and olive oil, put a heavy base pan on the stove on a high heat. Add your crayfish shell side down to the pan and put it into the oven. Check every few minutes depending on the size. Once the crayfish is 60% cooked remove from the oven. Spoon over mornay sauce, turn the oven onto grill and put the lobster back in until the sauce is nice and golden. Remove from the grill and add chives and cracked black pepper to the top and serve with your choice of garnish, chips/ roast potatoes/ salad.


Pan Roasted Bream, Hainanese Style Ginger and Shallot Oil (serves 2)

THANKS TO CHEF JAI GIBBONS

Ingredients

  • 1 pan sized bream (scaled and gutted)
  • 2 knobs ginger
  • 1 bunch of green shallots
  • 100ml rice bran oil/canola oil
  • Salt
  • Rice flour ½ cup
  • 1 tsp Chinese five spice
  • Optional-
  • Asian greens (Buk choy, Chinese broccoli etc)
  • Jasmine rice (1 cup for 2 people)

 

Method

Sauce- Microplane/finely grate the ginger, finely slice the shallots, add them to a jar or small heat proof bowl, heat 70ml of the oil until just starting to smoke, pour the oil carefully over the ginger and shallots and stir. Leave it for 5 minutes then add about 40ml of water and mix well. Add salt to taste. Refrigerate the dressing until cold.

Fish- Scale and gut the bream and dry really well, trim the fins off with scissors, take a sharp knife and score the flesh a few times on each side, season very lightly and pat dry with paper towel. Make a mix of about half cup of rice flour, a teaspoon of five spice and a pinch of salt. Turn the oven on to 160c. Put a heavy based pan on a high heat, once hot add remaining rice bran oil and swirl around the pan to coat the whole pan. Place your bream into the rice flour mix and evenly coat, dust off excess and place into the hot pan. Turn pan down after about 20 seconds to medium heat and get a nice colour and crust on the fish do not move it around much just be patient. Once a beautiful crust has formed (this will be the presentation side) shake the pan gently to see if the fish is not stuck to the pan, gently flip the fish over and put the pan into the oven. Check after 5 minutes, the flesh should almost be pulling from the bone but not falling off. Take out of the pan and enjoy.

Serve with steamed Asian greens, jasmine rice and add the dressing over the fish as you please.

Roasted chilli & Goatfish risotto (serves 2)

Thanks to chef Jai Gibbons


Ingredients

  • 1 medium sized goatfish
  • 1 onion (finely diced and offcuts and skin kept for stock)
  • 2 cloves of garlic (finely minced)
  • White wine 1 cup
  • 1 cup of arborio rice
  • 1 stick of celery (cut into chunks)
  • 2 fresh ripe roma tomatoes (diced
  • Basil leaves
  • Dark chilli paste (incas food aji panca brand) 2 tablespoons/to taste
  • 1tsp smoked paprika
  • 80g of butter unsalted
  • 50g parmesan (microplaned/grated fresh)
  • 30ml extra virgin olive oil (finishing)
  • 60ml of olive oil for frying (stock and rice)
  • 20ml veg oil for cooking the fish
  • salt to taste
  • fresh cracked pepper to taste

 

Method

Fish- scale/gut goatfish, pat dry and set aside fillets on a plate skin side up to let the skin dry and let the fish come to room temperature.

Cut the bones/head and fins into chunks and wash the blood out in cold water (change the water a few times) cut the eyeballs and gills out.

Stock- heat 30ml of olive oil in a pot that can hold about 2L of liquid, add the bones and roast them on a moderate heat until golden (keep stirring so the bottom does not burn)

Once the bones are golden and there is a sticky caramelised layer in the bottom of the pot add the onion offcuts, celery and cook until tender, deglaze with ½ cup of white wine and reduce by half, then add 1.5l of water and cook for 1 hour or until the stock is nice and rich in flavour, it should smell like a nice prawn flavour. Strain the stock and set it aside.

Risotto – heat 30ml of olive in medium sized saucepan on a medium heat, add onions, garlic cook until translucent, add seasoning and rice cook until slightly toasted while stirring continuously, add the chilli paste and paprika, cook for 20 seconds. Increase to a high heat, add wine and fresh tomatoes and cook until the moisture has been absorbed. Reduce heat back to medium/low, start adding the warm stock about 150mls at a time stirring occasionally. As the rice absorbs the stock, continue adding stock gradually and continue until rice is cooked through but still al dente (has a slight bite to it). Turn off the heat, add another ladle of stock and let rest with the lid on while you cook the fish.  Finish with butter, parmesan and olive oil, stirring until incorporated. At this point you may need to add a little more stock (or water if you have used all the stock) to loosen the risotto it should slowly spread along the plate as your serve it; like a thick soup, it should not be firm!  Adjust seasoning to your personal taste. Garnish with fish and add basil leaves. Drizzle some olive oil over the top. And add a touch more black pepper.

Fish cooking-  season fish with salt on the skin, heat a cast iron or heavy based pan on a high heat, add cooking oil and let it heat until slightly smoking or shimmering, turn the pan to coat the whole surface, gently place the goatfish into the pan skin side down and press the fish down lightly, let the fish relax and turn the heat down to medium. Once the skin is crisp and slightly golden and about 70% cooked flip the fish over and add about 20g of butter and slowly baste (spoon the butter over the fish skin). After about 20 seconds remove the fish and let it rest for a moment while you finish the risotto and plate it up.