Aromatic Fish with Rocket and Walnut Sauce

From issue #2.
Aromatic Fish with Rocket and Walnut Sauce

These small morsels of spice crusted fish make either a delicious pre-dinner bite or a simple platter for a casual meal.

Serves: 6 - 8

INGREDIENTS

1 kg firm white fish such as
hapuka cut into large chunks
olive oil for cooking
Coating Mixture
2 teaspoons each whole
fennel, cumin, aniseed and
caraway seeds
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1 teaspoon sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons flour
zest of 2 lemons –
finely grated

Rocket and Walnut Sauce
1 cup walnuts
2 cups firmly packed rocket leaves
1 cup firmly packed mint leaves
1 cup fresh, soft breadcrumbs
2 cloves garlic, crushed
zest and juice of 1 lemon
3⁄4 cup walnut or olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground
black pepper

To serve
2-3 tablespoons yoghurt
lemon wedges

METHOD

Place all the seeds in a mortar and lightly crush but don’t grind
to a powder. Combine with the other coating ingredients in a shallow
dish and press the fish firmly into the mixture to coat well.

Heat a large non-stick sauté pan and add a little olive oil. When hot,
add half the fish and cook on both sides until golden. Place on paper
towels and repeat with the remaining fish.

Sauce: Preheat the oven to 180°C. Toast the walnuts until golden and
rub in a clean tea towel to remove any loose skin.

Place the rocket, mint, breadcrumbs, walnuts, garlic and lemon zest
into a food processor. Blend to a smooth paste then drizzle in the
lemon juice and walnut oil. Season to taste.

To serve: Place the sauce on one side of a serving platter and drizzle
over the yoghurt. Pile the fish alongside and garnish with lemon
wedges. Serve with warm pita breads. Serves 6-8