With the dark and chilly nights looming it’s good to have some spicy foods to bring warmth.
You need to allow at least 4 hours marinating time but better still start it a day before you need it and let the fish marinate for 24 hours.
For 4-6
2 tbsp rapeseed oil
2 pinches of dried red chilli flakes
2 large cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp fennel seeds
1 tbsp turmeric
1 tbsp soft dark brown sugar
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tbsp tomato paste
A generous pinch of sea salt flakes
4 – 6 fillets of haddock, halibut or hake – fairly chunky, skin on fillets, each weighing around 175g, would work well here
A little rapeseed oil to grease a baking tray
A medium bunch of fresh coriander
To eat with the fish:
Saffron Quinoa or Oven Baked Basmati Rice
Spiced Pear Chutney or Mango Chutney
Marinated Cucumber and Red Onion Salad
A few tablespoons of Greek-style yogurt flavoured to your taste with some crushed garlic and some chopped fresh or dried mint.
To make the spice marinade and to marinate the fish.
- Heat the 2 tablespoons of rapeseed oil in a small, sturdy pan over low heat.
- Stir in the chilli flakes, crushed garlic, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, turmeric, sugar, vinegar, tomato paste and cook together for 5 minutes, stirring from time to time.
- Remove the pan from the heat and let the mixture get completely cold.
- Put the fish in a large plastic food bag and add the cooled spice mixture. Manipulate the fish so that it gets completely covered with the spice mixture. Tie or seal the bag and store it in the fridge for at least 4 hours or, preferably, overnight.
To cook the fish.
- Preheat the oven to 200c.
- Grease a baking tray with a little rapeseed oil.
- Put the fish and marinade on the tray in one layer and bake it in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes and then check to see if the fish is cooked. The skin should peel away easily and the flesh should be opaque but still moist – use a sharp knife to check and then if necessary, cook for a few minutes more.
- Chop the fresh coriander and scatter it over the fish before eating it, perhaps with some of the side dishes mentioned above.
Sherbhert champions delicious, healthy and sustainable food where its production minimises environmental damage, exploitation, animal suffering and subsequent processing. Sherbhert’s recipes are simple and use mainly UK seasonal produce sourced as locally as possible.
