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traditional south African pickled fish

Traditional South African Pickled Fish Cape Malay-Style

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4 from 1 review

  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 8 people 1x

Description

A spicy, slightly hot, delicious and traditional pickled fish recipe.  To get the best taste from this pickled fish prepare it 2 to 3 days before serving.

Ingredients

Units Scale

Fish Batter

  • 1 kilo firm white fish (2.26lbs), Cut the fish into pieces around 5cm / 2″ squares or rectangles. Use the size of the palm of your hand as a guide.
  • 1/3 cup oil, sunflower or vegetable oil, use more as needed
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 4 eggs, beaten
  • 1/2 tsp salt and pepper, to taste

Dry Roast Spices

  • 4 bay leaves, stems removed
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds
  • 5 ml coriander seeds
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tbsp peppercorns
  • 6 cloves

Spice Powders

  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp fish spice
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 2 tbsps masala curry powder,
  • 1 tsp salt

Onion Pickle

  • 500 grams onions, medium size, aproxiamately 4 to 5 onions, sliced into 5mm slices
  • 3/4 cup vegetable oil/canola oil
  • 2 cups white wine vinegar, approxiamately 500ml
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1 fresh chili, de-seeded & sliced, or 1/2 tsp chili flakes
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 thumb size piece of ginger, grated

Instructions

  1. Prep the fish - The fish (if frozen) should be defrosted and at room temperature before starting. Cut the fish into squares if not already portioned. The fish squares should be approxiamately 5cm / 2″ squares or rectangles or the size of the palm of your hand. No need to overthink it, we just want sqares or rectangles that are more or less the same size.
    Pat the fish dry with a kitchen towel.
  2. Fry The Fish - Use a large pan, we will use this pan later for everything!
    Season the fish with salt, pepper and fish spice.
    Dredge into the flour and egg. Hold the fish up and shake off the excess flour before frying.
    Heat the oil in a non-stick pan then cook the fish until golden brown on both sides. Remove the fish to a rack or plate with kitchen paper and set aside while you toast the spices. Dont worry that it's getting cold, we will still cook it later and it will warm up.
  3. Whole Spices - Toast the whole spices and crush them.
    Heat a dry pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Add the spices and don't walk away! Stir and occasionally move them around with a wooden spoon to prevent them burning. It takes about 2 to 3 minutes for the spices to toast and you will notice the color will darken, some may even pop and crackle 🙂
    Transfer the toasted spices to a plate to cool immediately so that the toasting stops. Pour into a grinder and crush.
  4. Saute The Aromatics - Return the same pan (from frying the fish) to the stove and reduce to medium heat. Heat the oil and then saute the garlic, ginger, onions, chili and all the spices (whole roasted and powder spices) salt and pepper, vinegar and water. Adjust to medium-low heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
  5. Return The Fish: Place the fried fish carefully into the aromatic onion sauce and scoop the sauce to cover the fish. Cover and simmer for another 10 minutes. At this point you can add a cup of half water and half vinegar if you need more liquid.
  6. Storage: Carefully transfer the fish to a non-metallic dish. Pour the sauce over the fish and leave to cool down completely before covering with cling wrap. Refrigerate for a minimum of 24 hours to a week before serving with fresh coriander. 

Notes

  • Please taste the pickled fish as you go and adjust this recipe accordingly because each person has their own taste. For example, you might want to add a hint of sugar for sweetness or to balance out the acidity in the vinegar.  So I would suggest that you taste as you go along. 
  • Also, there are a load of onions in this recipe but that's how we like it with loads of onions.  Besides, it tastes so good every single onion is eaten!  Feel free to half the onion quantity. 

Can I Make Pickled Fish with spice powders only and omit the whole spices? 

Yes you can. However toasting the whole spices intensifies the flavors and releases aromatic compounds. They are more fresh adding fragrant aromatic elements to the fish. 

Spice Powders:  Yes they are very convenient, but they will not offer the same level of freshness and aroma as toasting spices will. 

Happy Easter!

  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: Cape Malay, South African

Nutrition

  • Calories: 496
  • Sugar: 4
  • Sodium: 640
  • Fat: 43
  • Saturated Fat: 6
  • Carbohydrates: 20
  • Fiber: 3
  • Protein: 7
  • Cholesterol: 109

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