The Complete South African Fish and Seafood Cookbook, by Alicia Wilkinson

This is an extract from the book: The Complete South African Fish and Seafood Cookbook, by Alicia Wilkinson.

This is an extract from the book: The Complete South African Fish and Seafood Cookbook, by Alicia Wilkinson.

Amazing variety of food from the sea: South Africans are able to enjoy, I have often wondered at the relatively small number of books dealing with the subject.

Admittedly there have been several excellent publications but these have all tended to concentrate on the kinds of fish and shellfish that come into the hands of people at the coast - more particularly those lucky enough to have a fisherman in the family. For many South Africans, however, the only ready supply comes from the freezer cabinet in their local supermarkets and delicatessens. The housewife in Vereeniging is unlikely to be able to buy frozen musselcracker or leerfish from her local store; for her, and for thousands of other South Africans who love to eat fish, kingklip, hake, sole and a few other delicacies such as crayfish and prawns provide the mainstay.

With this in mind, I set out to provide an all-purpose fish cookbook that caters as much for the person living at the coast as for those who live inland. And although I live at the Cape, I tried to compile this book with an eye to the many and various kinds of fish found elsewhere along the South African coast. I have also become increasingly aware over the years of just how little fundamental understanding there is about cooking fish. In this book I have therefore provided a very basic, complete and broad-ranging source of information on the entire subject of cooking with fish - be it fresh or frozen. But the selection of seafood does not lack adventure, for all the commonly - and not so commonly - found shellfish and molluscs are included.

Periwinkles, perlemoen, mussels, squid, octopus, sea urchins, and so on all find their place. Of course, the many traditional South African fish dishes such as fish curry, bobotie and gesmoorde snoek are here too. As for the range of recipes, I must admit to a special fondness for sole, crayfish and prawns. However, my interest in fish and seafood is wide-ranging and I sincerely hope that this book will encourage you to join me on the never-ending and challenging adventure of experimenting with food from the sea.


Example No. 108: A symphony of seafood

(serves 6-8)

500 g squid, cleaned, skinned and cut into rings
2 steaks Cape salmon, seventy-four, steenbras, monkfish or any firm white flsh
1 litre mussels, scrubbed, steamed and removed from their shells or 200 g can mussels, drained
250 g shelled prawns
250 ml (1 cup) dry white wine
15 ml (1 tablespoon) lemon juice
5 ml (1 teaspoon) salt
2 ml (1 teaspoon) black pepper
30 ml (2 tablespoons) butter
15 ml (1 tablespoon) flour
2 ml (1 teaspoon) ground nutmeg
50 g (z cup) walnut halves
125 ml cream Garnish:
30 ml (2 tablespoons) chopped parsley

Walnuts and cream give an interesting contrast of texture and richness to this mixture of seafoods in wine.

1. Pour 125 ml (1 cup) of the wine into a saucepan. Add the squid, lemon juice, salt and pepper and bring to the boil over moderate heat.

2. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes more. Transfer the squid to a plate and set aside.

3. Skin and bone the fish and cut into bite-size portions. Add the fish and remaining wine to the pan and cook for 5-8 minutes or until the flesh is almost tender. Transfer this fish to another plate and set aside.

4. Strain the cooking liquid into a bowl and set this aside too.

5. Now melt the butter in a large, heavy-bottomed pan over moderate heat. Remove from the heat. With a wooden spoon stir in the flour to make a smooth paste. Pour in the strained cooking liquid and continue stirring. Add the nutmeg and return the pan to the heat. Bring to the boil, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat and simmer for 2 minutes.

6. Add the mussels, squid, fish, prawns and walnuts and cook for 7-10 minutes, or until the fish is tender and the prawns and mussels are heated through.

7. Stir in the cream and cook a further minute. Do not allow the liquid to boil. Remove from the heat, sprinkle with parsley and serve.

This is an extract from the book: The Complete South African Fish and Seafood Cookbook, by Alicia Wilkinson

Book title: The Complete South African Fish and Seafood Cookbook
Author: Alicia Wilkinson
Struik Publishers
Cape Town, 2005
ISBN 9780620052191
Hardcover, 17x24 cm, 192 pages, numerous drawings

Wilkinson, Alicia im Namibiana-Buchangebot

The Complete South African Fish and Seafood Cookbook

The Complete South African Fish and Seafood Cookbook

This edition provides the most complete cookbook on Fish and Seafood from South Africa.

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