A Fish Delight with Fruity – Exotic Flavor
In Madagascar, the food culture has been enriched by influences from Asia and Europe. The basics have remained very typical of the country, as the Malagasy people are the world’s largest rice eaters in terms of quantity: 700g of dry rice per person per day. Rice is therefore the main component of the diet.
I will start with a simple recipe from the coastal residents of northern Madagascar, influenced by my Asian roots.
Coconut Fish Sauce Recipe
Ingredients:
1 kg of fish fillet cut into cubes of about 4cm
4 tomatoes
2 onions
3 cm of ginger root
4 garlic cloves
Dry roasted and freshly ground cumin, turmeric, mustard seeds, allspice, cinnamon, pepper, salt.
Coconut milk (freshly pressed if possible), combava leaves, fresh coriander, orange or lemon zest finely grated.
After cutting the fish into large cubes, moisten with some lemon juice and let it sit.
Mix coarsely ground pepper or wild pepper from Madagascar, salt, cumin, and a spoonful of flour in a plastic bag. Mix the fish pieces with the dry spices until they are evenly coated. Layer spices on all sides. The fish should be firm, so opt for “fatty fish” like bass, snapper, or others. Sear the fish cubes until they are firm, then continue cooking in the spice/coconut sauce slowly. Many fish only need a few minutes to remain soft and delicious.
Heat olive oil, throw a teaspoon of black mustard seeds into the oil and wait for them to pop, then sauté chopped onions, garlic, and ginger, followed by finely chopped tomatoes, turmeric, pepper, chili, 2 kaffir lime leaves, grated lemon or orange zest, and a touch of cinnamon to balance the natural acidity of the tomatoes.
Add salt, season, and let simmer slowly. At the end, add a can of coconut milk (if fresh is not available) and sprinkle with fresh coriander.
Best served with perfectly cooked Basmati rice, which can also be cooked with some toasted cumin seeds or grated coconut.
