ANY WHITE fish you love is great with these chilli combos. You can buy brined chillies but these salted ones are so easy – and I promise it will be your favourite spread on a sandwich. Note, though, that you need to make the pickled chillies a month in advance and the salted chillies two weeks beforehand. Most leafy greens are great in the salad and the dressing is also perfect for cos lettuce leaves. Serve with steamed rice for a simple but delicious meal.
Steamed blue eye trevalla with green and red chillies
Serves 4 as part of a shared meal
For the pickled green chillies
100ml white vinegar
100g caster sugar
200g fresh long green chillies, cut crossways into ½cm slices
For the salted red chillies
200g fresh long red chillies
30g sea salt
2 x 250g blue eye trevalla fillets, skin off
2 tsp light soy sauce
1. For the pickled green chillies, place the vinegar and sugar into a small stainless-steel saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. When the sugar has dissolved, remove from the heat and leave to cool. Meanwhile, pack the green chilli slices into a sterilised glass jar. When the pickling liquid has cooled, pour it over the chillies, then seal the jar and refrigerate. Leave for a month before using.
2. For the salted red chillies, rinse and dry the chillies. Trim off the stems and roughly chop, then mix with ¾ of the sea salt in a bowl. Pack the red chilli and salt mixture into a sterilised glass jar, sprinkle with the rest of the sea salt and seal. Store in a cool, dark place for at least 2 weeks before using. Refrigerate after opening.
3. Place the trevalla on a lightly oiled heatproof plate that will fit in your steamer, then spread a layer of pickled green chillies over one half of each fillet and a layer of salted chillies over the other half and place in the steamer. Drizzle the fish with the soy sauce and pickled chilli juice and steam over boiling water for about 6 minutes, until each fillet is just cooked.
4. Carefully lift the fish from the steamer and place on a serving dish. Stir the sesame oil into the cooking juices on the plate in the steamer, then pour the mixture around the fish, taking care not to disturb the green and red chilli coating. Serve immediately.
Spinach and sesame salad
Serves 4 as part of a shared meal
Photo: William Meppem
2 bunches English spinach leaves, washed and trimmed
1½ tbsp peanut oil
6 dried long red chillies
2 tsp rice wine vinegar
½ tsp light soy sauce
2 tsp caster sugar
½ tsp sesame oil
½ tsp chilli oil
1 tbsp roasted sesame seeds, to serve
1. Plunge the spinach into a saucepan of boiling salted water and blanch for a minute, just to wilt the leaves. Refresh under cold running water and squeeze dry.
2. Heat a wok over high heat until smoking and add the peanut oil. Reduce the heat to medium and stir-fry the chillies for about 10 seconds, until fragrant. Remove from the wok, and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk the vinegar, soy, sugar and both oils, then season to taste. Add the blanched spinach and fried chillies. Gently combine, place into a large bowl to share, scatter with sesame seeds and serve.