We asked Georgia East to create a Easter recipe for us, using the Krone Borealis Vintage Cuvée Brut as her inspiration.
Previously she created a recipe for us for fire-roasted oysters with bokkom butter.
Shares Georgia: “As endemically entrenched in South African culinary history as koeksusters and korrelkonfyt, pickled fish is a popular treat often enjoyed around Easter.
Redolent of Cape Malay curry, peppercorns and onion, this savoury dish arrives as a respite from chocolate eggs and raisin buns. While traditionally made with a mildly flavoured firm white fish such as hake, the gamey meatiness of snoek or yellowtail work well as they’re able to hold their own against the smorgasbord of spices used to infuse the pickling liquid.
Whatever fish one chooses to use, it’s best to have your fishmonger slice it up into sections perfect for pickling – bones optional.
Taking inspiration from South Africa’s own Lannice Snyman and her seafood bible – 1979’s Free from the Sea – this recipe utilises seasonal yellowtail and fresh bay leaf. Offset by Krone Borealis Cuvée Brut’s signature oyster shell salinity and the tingling tartness of citrus, the earthy sapidity of the pickled fish is brought to the fore, with the spice tempered by each icy sip of Method Cap Classique.
Serve the pickled fish cold from the refrigerator with a crunchy green salad and fresh brown bread and butter.
1.5kg yellowtail, cleaned, filleted and cut into sections
Olive oil, for frying
4 onions, peeled and sliced into rings
3 cups white wine vinegar
1 cup water
½ cup of white sugar
4 bay leaves (fresh or dried)
1 tablespoon ground turmeric
1 tablespoon mild curry powder
1 tablespoon garam masala powder
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
2 heaped tablespoons cake flour
2 teaspoons salt
1. Fry the yellowtail sections in olive oil until just cooked through. Season the fish with salt and pepper and set aside.
2. Fry the onions in a little olive oil until just cooked – you want them to still have a crunch.
3. In a saucepan, combine the vinegar, water, sugar, bay leaves, spices, salt and peppercorns and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes. Use a little of the sauce combined with the flour to make a roux. Thicken the sauce and add in the fried onions.
4. Use boiling water to sterilise a few jars or one large container. Place the yellowtail sections into the jars and spoon over the onions and sauce, taking care to entirely cover each piece of fish. Refrigerate the pickled fish and serve after a minimum of three days.
PHOTOGRAPHY:
GEORGIA EAST
