HAKE PICKLED FISH
- 1.4 kg *hake (I bought plain 10 x 3 cm portions)
- 4 large onions, halved and sliced thick
- 100 ml oil, for frying
- 500 ml brown vinegar
- 250 ml water
- 200 ml brown sugar
- 15 ml pickling spices
- 5 ml whole coriander
- 20 ml medium strength curry powder
- 15 ml garam masala
- 15 ml turmeric
- 3 ml cayenne pepper
- 10 whole cardamom pods (they enhance the lemony flavour)
- 5 ml ground ginger
- 4 bay or lemon leaves
- 10 ml salt
*Use any firm white fish instead of kabeljou or yellowtail
Defrost the hake portions overnight in the fridge. They might not be completely defrosted by the time you use it, but that is fine. Cut each portion in four pieces. Set the fish aside while preparing the curry pickling sauce. Fry the onions only until translucent, but not browned. Add the spices and curry and fry it for a few minutes. Add the rest of ingredients, except the fish. Cook for about 15 minutes.
Lower the fish cubes carefully into the sauce and allow to simmer until the fish is just cooked. Mine cooked for about 20 minutes (at maximum) as a few pieces were still slightly frozen as I put them into the sauce.
Carefully spoon the fish out into a flat glass, ceramic or plastic dish. I prefer ceramic or glass as it cannot stain from the turmeric.
Allow it to cool completely; then cover it and put it into the fridge for up to three days before serving and/or bottling the cold pickled fish into sterilised cold jars.
I would suggest keeping it in the fridge.
Serve with brown seed loaf bread and butter.
Recipe: Elsabie Templeton
Photos: Elsabie Templeton and Ilze Jacobs
