Usually I serve this in a bowl. But at the moment, my thoughts are on Xmas and I can just see a platter full of kebabs, with the white of the fish alternating with red and green veges. If Xmas Day is hot (but with it having dropped to 12C in Wellington today, who can be sure it will be?), fish kebabs would be a light and refreshing alternative to a roast. They could even be tossed on the BBQ for a minute on each side. Here's my regular recipe, plus thoughts on kebabs.
- ½ cup lemon juice (3-5 lemons approx)
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 500g (1/2 lb) firm white fish (see note below for good types of fish)
- approx 100ml (1/2 cup) coconut cream
- slice of red onion, chopped up finely
- about ¼ telegraph cucumber, chopped up small
- handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
- mesclun or other lettucy type greens
Start preparation 24 hours before you want to serve. Mix the lemon juice and the salt together in a medium sized bowl. Cut the fish into chunks that are roughly 2 cm (just under 1 inch) a side, and mix together well. Press the fish down, so that the juice covers it. If the lemon juice doesn’t cover the fish, add a little extra. Marinate in the fridge for 24 hours, stirring occasionally.
Drain the fish well, put into a clean bowl and stir in the coconut cream. I don’t measure it; I just slosh in enough so that the fish has a nice coating. Chop up the salad veges and stir them in.
The amounts given are approximate and will depend on your taste and how you are going to serve it. If you are serving it as a main meal, you’ll want to add more vegetables than if it’s an entrée. You can vary the vegetables as well, eg by using spring onions or capsicum.
Kebabs
Leave the fish to sit in the coconut cream for an hour or two. Then thread onto skewers, alternating pieces of fish with your choice of raw salad vegetables – e.g. cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, capsicum, radish or baby turnips. Cold, cooked roast vegetables such as pumpkin could also be interesting.
Xmas kebabs
For the red veges: cherry tomatoes, capsicum or red onion
For the green: cucumber (or zucchini if going on the barbie), celery, green capsicum
What fish should I use?
Good fish to use: terakihi, kawahai (with the brown meat cut off), cod, mullet, halibut, skipjack or albacore tuna
Fish to avoid: Gurnard, bluefin or yellowfin tuna
If in doubt, ask the fish seller for a recommendation
