This combination of meaty white flakes of fish and spicy pineapple sambal is unique and flavoursome. The sambal (an Indonesian salsa) is slightly sweet, salty and spicy and makes for a fresh, vibrant accompaniment to the buttery fish. I used Blue Eye Cod for my dish, however, any of your favourite fish will do.
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| The Pan Fried Fish with Pineapple Sambal |
Ingredients
For the Pineapple Sambal:
- 1 small ripe pineapple
- 1 white onion
- 1 Tbsp Sea Salt or Himalayan Pink Salt
- 2 fresh red or green chillies
- 2-3 Tbsp coriander
- Juice and zest of 1 lime
For the Fish:
- 4-6 portions of Blue Eye Cod (or other fish of choice) – allow 200-250g per person.
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
Instructions
1. Cut the skin and the core from the pineapple and then chop the flesh into small pieces – it is going to be a salsa, so you want a fairly fine texture. Finely chop the onion, chilis and coriander too and add them to a large bowl with the salt and lime zest.
2. Set the pickle aside to let the flavours develop for one hour up to 7 days (see notes for fermenting instructions, to make it more of a pickle).
3. To prepare the fish, feel along the flesh and remove any pin bones with tweezers. Cut into serving size fillets.
4. Heat some oil in a large frying pan until hot. Place the fish skin side down and cook, untouched until the flesh is opaque half-way up the side. Flip the fillets over and finish cooking (usually requires only a minute more, unless you have quite thick cuts).
While frying, oil can sometimes splatter. Here, I use Le Creuset's Toughened Non-Stick Fry Pan. It's large and 30 cm in diameter, perfect for cooking 3 to 4 fillets.
5. Serve the Fish on a plate with either the crispy skin side up or down (your preference) and the pineapple salsa around the plate.
Note
- The pineapple sambal can also be fermented a few days in advance. To ferment it, make the sambal as per the instructions, then place in sterilized jars (with lid lightly screwed on) at room temperature for 3-7 days (the warmer the room, the shorter time it needs to ferment). This fermentation process adds healthy bacteria to the pickle and brings out more of the salty flavour. Store in the fridge once the ferment reaches the taste you like.
- This recipe is adapted from Fermented Pineapple Sambal from The Cornersmith Picklery in Marrickville, Sydney.