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Salt-crusted Sea Bass

by michelletang118
written by michelletang118

Ever wondered how to roast fish while keeping all its moisture intact? Well, look no further than the salt baked method whereby you bury your fish of choice (mine is the sea bass or dorade) in an egg white x coarse salt mixture with the consistency of wet sand.

Note that any fresh white-fleshed fish will do. I prefer sea bass because it has a higher fat content than snapper. Feel free to stuff the cavity full of herbs and citrus of your choice. Some of you may wonder will the fish turn out overly salty? Short answer is “no”. The salt forms a ‘mini-oven’, acting like an insulation whereby all the juices and aromas from the herbs and lemons are trapped and only lightly seasons the fish.

As a rough measure, you would bake the fish at 8 minutes per pound so that the flesh registers 120-125. As mentioned, feel free to use any type of white fish such as sea bass, brazino, and snapper.

Salt Baked Sea Bass

PREP TIME: 10 min | ACTIVE TIME: 30 min | TOTAL TIME: 40 min | YIELDS: 2-3 servings

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 sea bass ~ 1.25 kg
  • 500g of coarse sea salt
  • 3 egg whites
  • Lemon, sliced
  • 2-3 cloves of garlic
  • bunch of fresh thyme or rosemary

METHOD:

  1. Preheat oven to 180C.
  2. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form with an electronic hand whisk (suggested).
  3. Fold in the coarse salt into the egg white mixture to  form a loose ‘cement’ paste.
  4. Clean the fish and pat dry. Insert a few slices of lemon, garlic and thyme/rosemary inside the cavity.
  5. Pour 1/3 of the salt onto the lined baking tray to form a ‘base’ for the fish. Lay the fish on top and cover the rest of the fish with the remaining salt egg white mixture.
  6. Insert tray into preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove once done and crack the salt crust, remove it from the fish and discard. Peel skin from the fish and place on serving plate.  Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and/or lemon juice.

Salt baked sea bass

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FishMediterraneanPescetarianseafood

Pan-seared salmon with apricot saffron salsa

by michelletang118
written by michelletang118

SALMON WITH AN APRICOT TWIST | A fruity take on the pan-fried salmon

Seeing I still have a pack of dried apricots I purchased in Melbourne this year, I thought I’d raid my fridge to see what else I had to make a sumptious lunchtime meal.  

Enter an apricot salsa made from a concoction of apricot, diced green beans, pine nuts and a touch of saffron.

Now to get the salmon skin extra crispy, I highly recommend scoring it first with a sharp knife. Scoring the surface of a protein allows the seasoning to penetrate, prevents the skin from curling, encourages fat to render, and creates more crispy bits. To do so, use a very sharp blade, draw knife down length of protein to make parallel ¼”-deep cuts spaced ½” apart from end to end.

Pan-seared salmon with apricot saffron salsa

INGREDIENTS:

PREP TIME: 15 min | COOK TIME: 10 MIN | TOTAL TIME: 25 mins | YIELDS: 1 serving

METHOD:

  1. Dice apricots into small cubes. Repeat for the green bean.
  2. Slice garlic cloves into slices. Soak the pinch of saffron in one tablespoon of hot water.
  3. Using a very sharp blade, draw knife down length of protein to make parallel ¼”-deep cuts spaced ½” apart from end to end.
  4. Heat a small frying pan on low heat. Add a tablespoon of olive oil and lightly fry the garlic slices, along with the pine nuts and green beans. Next add the chopped olives, saffron water and lemon zest.
  5. Heat a saute pan on medium heat. Add a tablespoon of olive oil.  Once oil simmers, put skin side of salmon down and let it fry for 3-4 minutes without moving it.
  6. Flip salmon other side and continue gently pan frying for a further 3 minutes, until the middle turns opaque.7. Once salmon is done, transfer it to a serving plate and spoon the salsa on top before serving.
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AppetiserMediterraneanMezzeVegetarian

Charred Tomatoes With Black Lava Salt On Cold Yoghurt

by michelletang118
written by michelletang118

This recipe was inspired by Simple, Ottolenghi’s latest book; except I added my own twist (and subtracted the thyme and oregano since I didn’t have any at hand – yes, one must improvise 😉 ).

Charred tomatoes on a bed of cold, creamy Greek yoghurt. Finish with a dusting of black lava salt and a light touch of lemon zest. Simple to make, impressive to look at, and simply delicious to taste. Without doubt, it’ll be one of the dishes you probably end up making again and again to serve as a starter or incorporate it as part of a mezze.

So what is black lava salt? This revered and delectable salt is used for adding depth and complexity to the finest of culinary creations. In addition to its stunning flavor, the nutritional advantage of Black Lava salt is that it is infused with activated charcoal which assists the body in removing harmful impurities, and is exceptional in essential minerals to help maintain the body’s normal functions. This scrumptious salt adds a truly unique flavor to roasted vegetables, soups, stir-fry dishes and on the barbeque.

Charred Tomatoes With Black Lava Salt On Cold Yoghurt

PREP TIME: 10 min | ACTIVE TIME: 20 min | TOTAL TIME: 30 mins |  YIELDS: 4 servings (as a starter or part of a mezze)

INGREDIENTS:

  • 350 g (12.5 oz) cherry tomatoes
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • ¾ tsp cumin seeds
  • ½ tsp light brown sugar
  • 3 garlic cloves peeled and finely sliced
  • 1 lemon – zest of one half shaved off in 3 wide strips, the other half grated
  • crack of black pepper
  • 250 g (9 oz) fridge-cold extra-thick Greek yoghurt
  • 1 tsp of black lava salt

METHOD:

  1. Heat the oven to 200oC (400oF) . Start zesting the rind of half a lemon and shaving 2-3 strips.

  2. Put the tomatoes in a rimmed baking dish that’s just large enough to accommodate them all snugly. Add the oil, cumin, sugar, garlic,  lemon strips, a pinch of salt and a good grind of pepper. Toss together with your hands. 

  3. Roast for 20 minutes, until the tomatoes are beginning to blister and the liquid is bubbling, then turn the oven to the grill setting and grill for 5 to 7 minutes, until the tomatoes start to blacken on top.

  4. While the tomatoes are roasting, mix the yoghurt with the grated lemon zest and 1/4 tsp salt, then return to the fridge.

  5. Once the tomatoes are ready, spread out the cold yoghurt on a large plate or shallow, wide bowl. Spoon the hot tomatoes on top, as well as the pan juices, lemon peel, garlic and herbs, and finish with the remaining oregano and chilli. Serve at once with some flatbreads or sourdough.

 

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MediterraneanSaladSidesVegetables

Stir-fried Broccoli with Anchovies

by michelletang118
written by michelletang118

BROCCOLI WITH ANCHOVIES | A easy side dish with an umami punch

Broccoli with anchovies…who would have thought these two would pair well together. Well, I’m here to tell you that these two complement each other like a married couple and to elevate the pairing, I would suggest a generous toppling of garlic bread crumbs.

Now why the anchovies? These tiny cured fish pack a wallop of flavour in tiny amounts and because of that, I personally love to add them to everything from a simple salad dressing to a hearty beef stew. Canned or cured anchovies offer a totally different taste experience from your regular kosher salt. That’s because they deliver umami—a taste that’s loosely defined as particularly “savoury” (the other tastes are bitter, sweet, salty and sour). Give anchovies a try and wow the eaters in your home.

This broccoli dish can function as a simple side that can be made in less than 10 minutes. I’ve infused the olive oil with some garlic chips and added a squirt of lemon juice too to brighten things up.

Stir-fried Broccoli with Anchovies

PREP TIME: 5 min | COOK TIME: 5 min | TOTAL TIME: 10 min | YIELDS: 2-3 servings as a side

INGREDIENTS:

  • one medium bunch of broccoli
  • 1 piece of anchovy from the can/jar
  • 1 tablespoon of garlic bread crumbs
  • 1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon of rice wine
  • 1 tablespoon of water
  • 1 clove of garlic, thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon of olive oil
  • Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

METHOD:

  1. Cut broccoli into florets. Wash and spin dry in salad spinner or pat dry.
  2. Turn stove on medium heat and heat a saute pan with olive oil. Once oil starts to shimmer add sliced garlic and anchovies. 
  3. Once anchovies melt, add the broccoli and stir fry for 1 minute or so. Add the wine, water and lemon juice. Stir fry for another 2-3 minutes till all the liquid evaporates. If desired, crack some fresh black pepper to taste. 
  4. Dish up the broccoli onto a serving plate. Garnish with the garlic breadcrumbs before serving. This dish can be served warm or at room temperature as a salad.
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MediterraneanPescetarianseafood

Roast ling with salsa verde

by michelletang118
written by michelletang118

Fancy a healthy meal without needing to break a sweat in the kitchen? Roast fish is always easy to make, high in protein and low in fat.

Yesterday I invited my colleague over and opted exactly for that, a quick meal with fish as the centerpiece. Seeing I had a fillet of ling in the fridge, I decided to make roast ling with salsa verde and garlic breadcrumbs.

Ling is an extraordinarily ugly fish, which is the reason why you will only ever find it filleted. It grows to about 1.5 metres and 20kg in weight. It is a strong, textured fish with no bones.

Roast ling with salsa verde

PREP TIME: 5 min | COOK TIME: 25 min | TOTAL TIME: 30 min | YIELDS: 2 servings

Ingredients:

  • 400g ling fillet (or two ling fillets roughly 200g each)
  • Bunch of fresh Thai basil
  • Bunch of fresh Italian parsley
  • Bunch of fresh Italian basil
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • Half the juice of a fresh lemon
  • 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
  • Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to season
  • 2 pieces of bread (best left overnight, for the garlic breadcrumbs)

Method:

  1. Preheat oven to 190C.
  2. Roast fish. Prepare fish by lining baking paper over a roasting tin and resting it on top. Drizzle some olive oil, sprinkle some sea salt, and crack some black pepper over the fish. Roast in oven for 20 minutes (or less if it is a smaller fillet).
  3. Make the salsa verde. Place thai basil, basil, 1 clove garlic, parsley, olive oil and lemon juice in a food processor and add a pinch of salt and a teaspoon of cracked black pepper. Blend until a smooth paste forms. Taste and adjust to your own liking.
  4. Make the breadcrumbs. Take some overnight/stale bread and put into a food processor, along with two garlic cloves. Pulse until bread crumbs form.
  5. Toast the breadcrumbs in a saute pan over medium heat with a knob of butter. Keep stirring until they become golden brown. Set aside to cool (NB: store the remaining cooled breadcrumbs in an air tight jar so that they can be utilised on other occasions).
  6. Remove fish from oven once down and transfer to a serving plate. Drizzle the salsa verde on top and generously topple the freshly made bread crumbs. Serve with a side salad. 
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