
Here is a simple but lovely short recipe for a marinade for fish inspired by our trip to Southern India last December. As part of the holiday we spent a magical few days on board the ‘Good Earth’ houseboat gently exploring the backwaters of Kerala south of Kochi.
Every lunch and supper included freshly caught fish (always called ‘mackerel’!) bought from the local fish market, which in reality was just a few canoes moored by local fishermen in the nearest village. All meals were accompanied by delicious side dishes including rice, of course and a variety of curried vegetables with coconut featuring heavily in many of these.
Indeed coconut trees were literally everywhere and we quickly discovered that coconut was used as a resource by local people for everything from cooking oil to boat building (including the Good Earth). So if you can fry your fish using coconut oil it will add that extra touch of Keralan authenticity to the meal.
Since our return we have discovered that coconut oil is a healthier frying option for cooking and although not readily available in supermarkets, our search for it has helped us to discover some of the marvellous international food stores on our doorstep in Bristol.
Ingredients: - Serves 4
Any fish, cleaned and scored 250g
Salt 1/2 tsp
Black pepper 1/2 tsp
Red chilli powder 1 tsp
Turmeric powder a large pinch
Oil for frying
Method
- Mix all the ingredients (except for the fish and oil) with a little water and rub the paste over the fish. Leave for about an hour.
- Heat the oil and shallow fry the fish until golden brown. Remove and drain the excess oil on absorbent paper.