Cuisine – Summer of fish

Every summer my husband looks forward to fishing expeditions in his small boat, ironically named Raindear, my nickname. Those who know us well laugh, for they know I have never set foot in it. My husband is an inveterate weather watcher and carefully researches where the fish are likely to be found. He stays within the triangle of the gulf bounded by Hauturu (Little Barrier Island), Flat Rock and Takatu Point, and is always careful to follow the rules about quantity and size of his catch.

This year I am still waiting for that elusive kingfish to come home with him, but am pretty happy with the haul of snapper, kahawai, gurnard and an occasional blue cod, which I think has strayed far away from its usual southerly habitat.

I have no problem thinking up ways to cook the catch, and must say that while I love to eat fish on the day it has been caught, I am now a fan of what some chefs call “aged fish”, which means careful storing the fish in controlled refrigeration to develop more flavour and texture. One of my favourite chefs, Makoto Tokuyama of Cocoro Japanese Restaurant in Ponsonby, ages some of his fish for sashimi for up to fourteen days.

Kahawai may well be my favourite, as it is a lovely fleshy fish with almost meaty flavours. I have a cheap little smoker – a tin box with a tight lid, an inner tray that stands over a handful of manuka chips or tea leaves, and a wee stand that goes underneath to hold the burning methylated spirit. My filleted kahawai with the skin still attached is rubbed with a quarter of a cup of brown sugar and a few tablespoons sea salt and placed in the tray, skin side down, before putting the lid on. Once the meths is lit, it only takes about ten to twelve minutes to cook the fish through in the heat and smoke. Then comes the best part: transfer the fish to a plate, serve with a squeeze of lemon, and eat with your fingers while sipping an icy cold beer. Heaven!

When there’s an abundance of fresh fish I like to make a sliced raw fish (ceviche style) dish as a treat before dinner. The trick of getting your fish slices to have that nice even appearance is to ensure your knife is razor sharp. Slice about 400g of fresh skinned and boned fish thinly and evenly, and lay them slightly overlapping on a flat plate. Take one lemon and gently grate the rind over the fish slices. Now squeeze the juice of the lemon over the fish and drizzle some good extra virgin olive oil over it. Finely chop some chives and sprinkle them over the fish with about two teaspoons of flaky sea salt. The finishing touch is to scatter a few pink peppercorns over, or maybe a few herb flowers.
For pan-fried fish, I always prefer to leave the skin on the fillets. The fish in my homestyle recipe is hapuku, but feel free to use any fish fillets you are lucky enough to catch, buy or be given.

Homestyle Fish ‘n’ Chips

3 medium agria potatoes
4 tbsp cooking oil (grapeseed or similar)
1 tbsp butter
2 tsp sage, chopped
1 tsp flaky sea salt
2 fillets fresh fish, skin on
1 tbsp flour
2 tsps seaweed sprinkle (Source from Rimurimu at Matakana Farmers Market or online). Alternatively, 2 tsps fresh chopped herbs
1/2 tsp flaky sea salt

Peel the potatoes and cut into wedges lengthwise. Simmer in salted water for 12 minutes then drain well. Heat the oil in a heavy frying pan and add the butter. When hot, toss in the potatoes with sage and salt. Lower the heat and cook the potatoes slowly for about 10-15 minutes until golden and crisp. Meanwhile, prepare the fish by dusting with the flour, seaweed sprinkle or herbs and the salt. When the potatoes are ready, remove them and keep them hot. Add a little more oil to the pan if necessary and turn the heat up. Cook the fish skin side down until the skin is crispy and the fish is almost cooked through. Turn the fish over, turn off the heat and leave for one minute. Serve at once with the agria chips and some lemon wedges. Serves two.

Lauraine Jacobs
www.laurainejacobs.co.nz/blog/