Fish and Seafood Recipes

Mussel Mariniere

Ingredients

• 24 Mussels
• 2 cups dry white wine.
• 1 onion
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 peppercorns
• Few sprigs parsley
• 4 shallots or spring onions
• 2kg mussels
• 8 shallots or spring onions
• 125g butter
• 4 table spoons flour
• ¾ cup cream
• Salt, pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped

Place wine, peeled and roughly chopped onion, bay leaf, peppercorns, parsley and chopped shallots in saucepan.
Cover bring to boil reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
Strain reserve liquid, return liquid to saucepan, with well-scrubbed and washed mussels and extra chopped shallots.
Cover, boil gently for 5 to 6 minutes or until mussels open, drain reserve liquid.
Remove one shell from each mussel leaving the meat attached to other shell.
Place mussels onto serving dish keep warm.
Reduce liquid in pan by half, then over high heat cream together butter and flour, add to liquid in pan stir into sauce until thickens.
Add chopped parsley, season with salt and pepper, stir in cream heat through.
Pour over mussels.

Pine nut Stuffing for Whole Fish

¼ cup pine nuts
2 bacon rashers
2 tablespoons chopped chives
3 shallots chopped
2 cups stale breadcrumbs
¼ cup sour cream

Fry bacon till crisp add pine nuts fry 1 minute more drain.
Stir in remaining ingredients; use to fill cavity of whole Fish.

P.K. and Pat's Recipe for Pickled Octopus

1. Get approx 2 kg of good quality frozen headless octopus.
2. If the Octopus is fresh freeze for a week then defrost.
3. Wash the Octopus in fresh water till slime has been removed.
4. Place octopus in a pot large enough to have the octopus in and be completely covered with cold water.
5. Place pot on stove and bring to the boil.
6. Boil for 20 minutes only.
7. Shut off the stove and allow to cool down till cold.
8. Whilst you are waiting (this normally takes about 8 hrs) cut up some veggies eg carrots, caulie, capsicum and whatever takes your fancy as far as pickled vegies.
9. Pull the Octopus out of the water and strip all the suckers and skin from the octopus, then cut into pieces approx 25 mm long (1").
10. Place Octopus and vegies in containers in equal amounts (this may vary with your requirements).
11. Place enough FAT FREE Italian dressing (SALAD MAGIC is the least "vinegary" tasting dressing) to cover all in container.
12. Place in the fridge for eating.
    

Pat's Recipe for Fish Wings

1. Get approx 6 good size wings
2. Remove the skin from the wings
3. Wash the wings in clean water to remove the scales etc.
4. Place the wings in a baking dish or Tupperware container and "baste" the wings with sweet chilli sauce.
5. Once you have done this and they are in the dish pour coke in the container trying not to wash off the sweet chilli sauce.
6. Allow the wings to marinate for at least 4hrs (preferably overnight) in the fridge
7. Once you have done this, oil up the barby and put on high.
8. Ensuring the barby is hot place the wings on and cook till ¾ of the fish is cooked (don't turn yet) you can tell by the white colour of the fish being cooked has gone through ¾ of the outside flesh.
9. Turn the wings over for a while till the fish is starting to fall apart.
10. At this stage you may wish to remove some of the "burnt marinade" from the flesh (this will be like a skin and easily removed with tongs.
11. Put on the table with salad and chips and enjoy.

Norm's Recipe for Pickled Octopus

1. Get approx 2 kg of good quality frozen headless octopus.
2. If the Octopus is fresh freeze for a week then defrost.
3. Wash the Octopus in fresh water till slime has been removed.
4. Place pot on stove and bring to the boil, make sure pot is large enough to put all the Octopus in without spilling.
5. Once water has started to boil put the Octopus in and bring back to the boil.
6. Once it has started to boil lower the heat so as it is just bubbling (with heat) and do this for 110 minutes only.
7. Remove the Octopus from the water and place in a tub of cold water then "wipe" all the tentacles, this will remove all of the "suckers" and "skin".
8. Whilst you are waiting for the octopus to boil for the 110 minutes cut up some vegies eg carrots, caulie, capsicum and whatever takes your fancy as far as pickled vegies.
9. Pull the Octopus out of the water then cut into pieces approx 25 mm long (1").
10. Place Octopus and vegies in containers in equal amounts (this may vary with your requirements).
11. Place enough FAT FREE Italian dressing (SALAD MAGIC is the least "vinegary" tasting dressing) to cover all in container.
12. Place in the fridge for eating. !!!!!Happy eating !!!!!
    

Pepper-cheese fish on toast

This is an extremely quick and tasty recipe for cooking fish in the field or for a quick and tasty snack. It was shown to me by a guide in Finland and made a very average fish taste fantastic. Of course any meal eaten under the midnight sun would be memorable. Try it and see what you think.

Ingredients:

• 500g fish fillets - prefer white flesh but nearly anything works. Remove all bones
• 250g pepper cheese (the sort you buy to use with crackers at a dinner party)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons pickled ginger chopped fine
• Parsley, salt, garlic to suit taste
• Serves 4-6

Cook fish on low heat in butter and flake as it cooks. Add salt and other spices.

When fish is nearly done add cheese (melts more quickly when cut into smaller pieces) and pickled ginger.

Serve after cheese has melted through on toast or on its own.

Quick, easy and very, very delicious. Easy to clean up too - allowing you to get back on the water sooner. Frank Prokop

Cape Malay Pickled Fish

(Remember, a recipe is never set in concrete . Adjust the type of fish and spices to your taste).

• 1 kg Firm Fleshed Fish , scaled and filleted, skin on
• Sea salt
• Oil for pan frying
• 2 or 3 large onions, sliced (depends if you like onions)
• 5 cloves garlic, chopped (adjust to taste but at least 3)
• 1 cup grape or wine vinegar
• half cup water
• half cup brown sugar
• half cup sultanas (optional)
• 2 tsp Curry powder (or to taste)
• 2 tsp coriander, ground
• 2 tsp cumin, ground
• 1 tbs masala
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tsp Allspice (or to taste)
• 4 cloves
• 8 peppercorns

To firm up the flesh, sprinkle salt on both sides of the fillet and let it stand in the sink for 20 minutes. Rinse under running water and pat dry with a paper towel. Cut the fish into bite size portions with the skin attached.

Do not cover fish with flour or butter but pan-fry pieces in oil till cooked through. Don't over cook or crisp the skin.

To make the sauce, simply boil then simmer the rest of the ingredients together till the onions are cooked but still crisp to the bite (about 7 or 8 minutes). You will need the sauce to be thinner than thicker so mix a quarter cup water and a quarter cup of vinegar and add a splash at a time if you feel it is reducing too much.

Layer the fish pieces in a ceramic or glass serving dish and cover each layer with the sauce and some onion. Be sure that the last layer is covered with sauce.

Let it cool, then refrigerate. Keeps getting better and better. Will keep for a week in a cool place and longer in a fridge but it never seems to last that long.

Enjoy cold on a hot summers day with fresh country bread or a green salad or both.
Suits Beer or White wine.

Steamed or Microwaved Fish

Ingredients per person
1 cleaned whole fish
2 dried mushrooms, soaked, drained and finely chopped
6 thin slices fresh ginger
2 spring onions, white part only, thinly sliced
2 tblspn light soy sauce
1/2 tspn sesame oil
Pepper to taste


Method Make some light incisions on cleaned and scaled fish three times on either side. Place fish in heat proof dish, which will fit a steamer, or on a rack in a wok.
Mix all ingredients and arrange on top of fish.
Cover and cook fish gently simmering water until the eye turns white, approximately 15 minutes.
Or cover fish with plastic wrap and microwave on medium high for 4 minutes.

Pink Snapper with anise tomato sauce.

This is a lovely dish for a cold wintry day. Serve with a semillon or sauvignon blanc or buck the trend and enjoy with the light, gamy, earthy flavours of a pinot noir.

The play of sweet licorice anise, saline Greek olives and the distinct flavour of snapper is quite magical.

Ingredients (serves four)

3 tbls olive oil
I tbls garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup spring onions, finely chopped (separate white bulb from green tops)
1/4 tsp anise seeds, lightly crushed
1 tsp capers, drained and rinsed twice
1 cup peeled, seeded and chopped tomatoes with juice
1/2 cup fish stock 1 1/2cup white wine
1 tsp grated orange zest
2 tbls sliced, pitted black Kalamata olives pinch sea salt pinch ground black pepper
4 snapper fillets around 150 gram each, boneless
2 tbls flour
sprigs of coriander or dill for garnish

Method. Heat half the olive oil in a heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and spring onion bulbs, cook without colouring for three minutes. A tiny dash of Pernod or Ouzo adds a lovely flavour to the sauce.

Stir in anise, capers, tomato and fish stock, simmer for around five minutes until most moisture evaporates and sauce thickens. Turn off heat, stir in orange zest and olives. Season to taste. Add to pan after cooking garlic and onion.

Keep warm while you fry the fish as described below.

Fish. Heat remaining oil in nonstick frying pan over high heat. When oil is hot, lightly dust fish in flour and put in pan skin side up.

Reduce heat to medium and cook until golden brown and inside of fillet is slightly opaque, around two to three minutes. Turn over and cook other side. Remove fish and place on serving plate.

Gently re-heat sauce, add green diced spring onion and spoon over fish. If sauce seems too thick, add a little more stock. Garnish with herbs.     (Recipe courtesy of Westfish)

Sushi Rice Rolls (Serves Four plus)

The Japanese cuisine Sushi food based around raw fish and rice - is growing in popularity around Australia. Many fish varieties, such as raw tuna and garfish, are suitable, but they must be fresh. You can usually find the other main ingredients, such as rice vinegar, nori seaweed sheets and wasabi horseradish mustard paste, at an Asian grocery store.

Cooked prawns, avocado, cucumber, carrot (cut into fine strips) are also delicious in sushi.

Easy to make, sushi is healthy, nutritious and refreshing during hot summer days.

3 1/2 cups short grain rice
4 cups water
5 tablespoons rice vinegar
5 tablespoons white sugar (or 2 of honey)
3 teaspoons salt
Saucepan with tightly fitting lid
nori sheets
wasabi paste
Small amount of cucumber or avocado, cut into strips
Small amount of raw tuna, salmon, garfish, snapper etc (say, 100 g each) cut into strips

Method: Wash rice in a colander under running water and allow to drain for 45-60 minutes. Mix the rice vinegar, sugar and salt in a small non-aluminium saucepan and heat gently, stirring until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Allow to cool.

Tip rice and water into a saucepan and cover. Bring to the boil and boil on a high heat for two minutes.

Reduce the heat slightly and boil for a further five minutes, then reduce heat to low and cook gently for 15 minutes, or until all the water has been absorbed. Remove pan from heat, replace lid and allow to stand for 15 minutes.

Tip the rice into a large shallow dish and spread it out, separating the grains. Slowly add the vinegar mixture , stirring, until there is sufficient to moisten the rice, without making it soggy. Cover the rice with a cloth while working.

To make sushi rolls, spread a sheet of nori flat on the bench top, spread on a layer of rice, add a smear of wasabi and top with raw tuna or garfish strips, or cucumber or avocado strips. Roll up firmly, secure ends by wetting the edge of the nori and cut into short lengths (1-2 cm long).

Arrange the slices on a small plate and serve with a dipping sauce made by mixing 1 1/2 tablespoons of fresh chopped ginger with 1/4 cup of soy sauce.     (Recipe courtesy of Westfish)

Two Minute Scallops

24 good-sized scallops
A splash of white wine, about 50ml
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon marmalade (orange, grapefruit or quince is perfect)

Method: Heat oil in saute pan, medium to high heat. Sear scallops, 15 seconds either side, remove from pan and keep on warm plate. Add wine and deglaze pan for 10 seconds then, add marmalade and swirl around until sauce begins to boil. Pour over scallops, garnish with a sprinkle of fresh herbs such as chives, coriander and tarragon. Serves Four

What could be easier? A bottle of your preferred white wine will make this memorable.     (Recipe courtesy of Westfish)

Grilled Mustard Herring

8 fresh herring
2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons of lemon juice
Olive or sunflower oil
Salt
Black pepper

Method: Scale and gut the herring. Make four or five deep diagonal slashes on the side of each fish and spread the mustard into them, using a knife. Season the fish with salt and pepper and brush with lemon juice and oil. Place the fish on grill plate and grill at medium to high heat for around six minutes a side, turning once.

The fish are ready to eat when they are cooked through to the bone and their skin is crisp.

Serve with crusty brown bread and plenty of butter. Serves four. Straight from heaven

Lobster Japanese Style

1 to 2 cooked or uncooked lobster (chopped into 4-6 pieces)
2 cloves of garlic (crushed)
1 packet Parsley Sauce powder (mixed with water according to instructions)
2 slices of cheese

Method: Put a little oil in a sauce pan. Fry the garlic till semi cooked, add the lobster to the pan, stir it till red, slow the heat, place the parsley sauce into the pan, keep stirring while adding the cheese slices, continue to stir until all ingredients are well mixed and the sauce becomes thickened, then serve quickly.

Serves 1-2. Simple to prepare, tastes exquisite. (Recipe courtesy of Suzuki Mori)

Tailor, Herring or Mullet Supreme
(A marinaded dish instead of cooked)

750g chopped oily fish fillets (such as tailor, herring or mullet)
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 medium chopped green (or yellow) capsicum
150g can coconut cream
handful of halved cherry tomatoes
2 tbsp chopped fresh chives
1 small fresh red chilli, finely chopped
1 tsp sugar

Method: Combine salt, vinegar and juice in bowl, add fish, marinate in fridge for at least 3 hours.

Rinse fish until water runs clear, then mix in bowl with other ingredients. Chill before serving.

Serves 4. Fijian style dish, well worth a try.     (Recipe courtesy of Westfish)

Marron or Yabbie and Sour Cream Entree

3-400g Marron tail flesh, raw or cooked salt, pepper, cayenne
3 tablespoons butter
1 diced medium onion
2 tablespoons flour 1 cup stock (prawn, fish or chicken)
1 cup sour cream 1/2 cup grated cheese (choose your favourite)
1/4 cup melted butter extra
1/2 cup coarsely crumbled dry biscuits

Method: Gently fry onion in 3 tablespoons butter and add Marron flesh now if it is raw, cook 3 mins.

Stir in flour, cook gently for 2 minutes, then pour in stock and stir constantly until mixture boils and thickens.

Add sour cream and Marron if they are pre-cooked. Add cheese and take off heat, season and pour into 4 individual ramekins.

Mix 1/4 cup melted butter with the crumbs, sprinkle over dishes and bake for 20-25 mins at 180 deg C.

Serves 4. Unbelievably scrumptious     (Recipe courtesy of Westfish)

Preparing Fish for Cooking.

We've all heard comments like "You can't freeze tailor", "Salmon aren't worth eating", "Eat herring fresh, they're no good after they've been frozen", etc.

But sometimes there is a good reason to freeze a few fish, eg when you're away from home for a while and want to take some fish home for the family. If you have caught and kept a few fish, then it is important they are not wasted, and that you get the best out of them.

This way really works, and will improve the taste and texture of any fish. Even the sometimes scorned Australian Salmon can taste sensational prepared this way.

First of all - look after your fish. Bleed them all as soon as they are caught. Gill and gut them as soon as possible. Keep them cool, and put them on ice as soon as possible. Even icing half an hour sooner while driving back home makes a big difference in any weather. Any fish to be frozen should be packed and frozen as soon as possible.

Thawing frozen fish. Make sure the outside of the pack of fish does not get warm while the inside is still thawing - thawing in the fridge guarantees this but takes a lot longer. The next step can be done once the fillets or the fish can be cut, even if they're still a bit icy.

Cutting up. Either fresh fish or frozen fish. Larger fish:- lay the fish fillet skin side down on a cutting board, and take off slices of fish around 10 -15 mm thick. Trim off any dark flesh and skin. Fillets of smaller fish like herring can be left whole but may be skinned if you like it that way.

The Secret. Put the fish pieces in a container and cover them with milk - full cream milk seems best. Put in the fridge for 12 to 24 hours. When ready to cook, drain off the milk, partly dry the fish pieces using paper towels, and cook the fish your favourite way. Try coated in beaten egg and dipped in flour or breadcrumbs. Yum...

There is some controversy about the benefits of bleeding and gutting fish soon after capture. The answer is:- try the look and taste test:- Catch two fish of the same species. Treat one as suggested above, the other in the way you normally do. Look at the differences in the flesh when preparing them, and taste the difference when cooked.      (Terry Fuller.)

Stir Fry Crab with Leek and Ginger

4 cooked crabs, cleaned, broken in halves
3 tbls olive oil
1 tablesp fresh ginger, finely chopped or crushed
100g rice noodles.
1 leek, halved lengthways washed well, cut into 3cm lengths and finely sliced
10 spring onions, finely sliced, separate white part of onion, keep green apart
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1 splash of white wine or sherry
100mls water
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 small fresh hot chilli finely chopped (optional)

Method: Pre cook rice noodles in boiling water for approximately three minutes. Drain and keep hot. Heat wok, add oil, ginger, garlic and spring onions. Cook without burning for one minute.

Add leek, toss for one minute. Add crab, oyster sauce and splash of wine, then water, and reduce to a nice consistency. Heat crab through, add in spring onion greens. Garnish with picked fresh coriander leaves. Serves 3-4.

You can't help but enjoy.      (Recipe courtesy of Westfish)

Margaret's Recipe for Herring Fish Cakes.

There are various ways to prepare herring - you can scale and gut them and eat them whole, skin and fillet them, or fillet them leaving the skin on. You can smoke them, barbecue, pan fry or deep fry in batter, and they are an excellent fish for fish cakes as they are full of flavour.

Here is a recipe for herring fish cakes:

6-8 herring fillets - cooked in the microwave for 2-3 minutes
1-2 potatoes, cooked and mashed
1 finely chopped onion, or 6 spring onions
1 egg
1 tablespoon of parsley
1 tablespoon of Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon of curry (if liked)

Method: Mix all together, adding one tablespoon of bread crumbs to firm the mixture, roll in more toasted breadcrumbs, and cook in hot oil in fry pan.      (Recipe courtesy of Lancelin Angling and Aquatic Club)






This page last updated in May 2007.