Smokey Barracuda with Seared Potatoes & a Palm Heart, Red Onion & Asparagus Salad

"Barracuda is a white meaty fish and by lightly smoking it you have the perfect flavour and textural combination."

This mouth-watering dish is devised by Chef Kiran Jethwa, Chef and owner of Nairobi's "Seven Experience" - the most popular eating destination of Kenya's cosmopolitan capital.

Not the easiest meal to put together but it is worth every second!

Give it a go!:

• For the barracuda, marinade and sauce
• 800 gram loin of Barracuda or kingfish
• Juice of 4 lemons
• 100 ml Olive oil
• 100 ml White balsamic vinegar
• 2 Onions
• 4 cloves garlic
• Salt & Black pepper to taste
• 4 bulbs wild ginger
• ½ bunch tarragon
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 200 ml fresh cream
• For accompaniment
• 4 large potatoes
• Salt to taste
• Olive oil for grilling
• For the palm heart, red onion & asparagus salad
• 1 jar brined palm heart
• 1 chopped red onion
• 150 ml Olive oil
• 1 bunch Wild Asparagus
• 50 ml White wine vinegar
• Salt & Black pepper to taste

 

METHOD:

1. To prepare the barracuda fillet the fish and skin it then cut into large pieces and set aside
2. For the marinade in a bowl combine lime juice, olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, finely crushed onion and garlic and then season with salt and black pepper
3. Place the fillets in the marinade and leave it to marinade for 2 hrs
4. Remove the fish from the marinade and set the marinade aside. Then place the fish on the grill and leave the it to smoke for 45 minutes
5. Heat up the skillet and add olive oil, place the smoked fish on the skillet and sear for 2 and a ½ minutes (keep turning that it doesn’t burn)
6. Remove the fish from the grill and set aside
7. For the sauce place a pan on the heat and pour in the marinade, add some finely sliced wild ginger and let this poach for 2 mins
8. Add some tarragon to the marinade mix, a knob of butter, fresh cream and cook it down for 5mins remove the sauce from the heat and set aside
9. To make the salad slice the palm heart into long thin strips, then in a bowl combine with red onion
10. Heat up a skillet and add olive oil, fry the asparagus for 2 minutes, and remove from the skillet.
11. Slice the asparagus and add to the bowl of onions and palm heart. Drizzle some white wine vinegar and season with salt and black pepper then mix and set aside
12. For the accompaniment heat water in a pot and add salt then slice the potatoes into chunky discs shape and add them to the pot, cover with a lid and cook until tender (They should be partly cooked)
13. When the water starts to boil remove the potatoes from the pot
14. Place the potatoes on a hot grill and drizzle olive oil on top, sear both sides for 3 mins on each side remove the potatoes form the skillet and place on a plate then season with salt and set aside
15. To serve place the potatoes in the center of the plate and layer the wild asparagus, top with the smoked fish and trickle some sauce over

 

Kiran Jethwa, March 2015

 

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