Recipe of the day: Traditional Cape Malay pickled fish

Usually made in Easter, pickled fish isnt enjoyed during the religious holiday however it’s a proudly South African dish with Cape Malayan roots. 

The history of the dish was initially a preserve of fresh fish seen early on in the Cape Colony however it transitioned to a pickled fish, to pate. 

It’s a popular recipe loved by many families and prepared largely in Cape Town during the traditional Easter period as one of their main meals. 

Even famous celebrity chefs such as Martha Stewart are aware of this South African dish, as she too has created her own pickled fish recipe.

However, the recipe below is closer to home.

Cape Malayan pickled fish

Ingredients 

• 1kg of firm white fish (kingklip, hake or cod) cut into large portions
• 30ml olive oil
• 2 Spanish onions, finely diced
• 1 medium piece of fresh ginger, grated
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2.5ml fennel seeds, crushed
• 5ml whole coriander seeds, crushed
• 5ml garam masala
• 10ml of ground turmeric
• 15ml of curry powder
• 5ml of salt
• 45ml of sugar
• 3 bay leaves
• 375ml white wine vinegar
• 300ml water

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Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and sauté the onions until soft and translucent.
2. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Add all the spices and cook for a further 2 minutes.
4. Add the salt, sugar, vinegar, bay leaves and water and simmer for 20 minutes.
5. Place the fish carefully in the pan and spoon the sauce over the fillets.
6. Cover and Simmer for 20 minutes until cooked through.
7. Lift the fish from the pan with a spatula and place in a non-metallic dish.
8. Continue reducing the sauce until it coats the back of a spoon.
9. Pour the sauce over the fish and cover.
10. Ideally, chill for 2-3 days before consuming.
11. Serve the pickled fish at room temperature with salad or crusty bread. 

This recipe can be found darlyskitchen.com.

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