Recipes

Spanish mackerel dry red curry with a green papaya salad (serves 6)

Ingredients: 600 g Spanish mackerel fillets, skin off Marinade: peanut oil, to coat 1 cup Spanish onion, finely diced ½ cup cracked coriander seeds 1 cup roughly chopped fresh coriander 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 stalk lemongrass, minced 2 tablespoons red curry paste Sauce: 1 small can coconut cream 1 cup dry white wine Green papaya salad 1 green papaya, skin and seeds removed 1 cup shredded carrot 2 cloves garlic 1 birds eye chilli, seeded and minced 1 tablespoon fish sauce ½ cup white wine vinegar

Method

Cut mackerel fillets in half lengthways, remove bloodline and cut straight across into 2 cm strips.

Place in a bowl, add just enough peanut oil to coat and toss through the remaining marinade ingredients.

Cover for 2 hours to 4 days-it should be quite dry and well coated.

Heat a heavy-based non-stick frying pan that has a lid, add a little oil and fry the mackerel until browned on both sides.

Add the coconut cream and dry white wine, cover and cook for a further 4 minutes.

Remove from sauce and keep warm. Reduce sauce to a thick consistency and decorate with green papaya salad and fresh coriander.

Green papaya salad

Cut papaya and carrot into julienne strips and place in a bowl.

Combine remaining ingredients in a screw top jar and shake to combine (this is best made ahead of time for flavours to develop).

Pour dressing over salad and toss lightly just before serving.