Fish Curry Neil Perry Food

FISHERMAN'S CURRY

Steps:

• Stir the lemon juice and 1 tsp salt into the fish pieces and set aside. Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the whole spices and curry leaves, cook for 3-4 mins, then add the onions. Fry until the onions are soft, then add the chillies, ginger and garlic. Tip in the tomatoes and the remaining spices and cook, uncovered, on a low heat for about 5-8 mins. Stir frequently to prevent the spices sticking and burning.
• Pour 150ml water into the pan, bring to a simmer, then add the fish. Cover with a lid and cook for 5 mins more. Serve with rice.

FISH CURRY - NEIL PERRY

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a small frying pan, add onion, ginger, garlic and salt and sweat over low-medium heat for 10 - 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until onion is soft and starting to caramelize.
• Add spices and cook, stirring constantly for 1-2 minutes or until aromatic.
• Add stock or water and simmer for 5-10 minutes.
• Add fish to pan and stir gently to cover fish with sauce and simmer for 2 minutes.
• Add yoghurt and lime juice, remove from heat and stir gently.
• Serve with steamed rice.

PORK HOCKS WITH CHILLI CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• Combine chicken stock, Hoi Sinh sauce and powdered ginger.
• Bring to boil for 1minute.
• Simmer the pork hocks gently in the stock mixture for 3 to 4 hours.
• Remove the hocks from the stock and drain well.
• Refrigerate (overnight preferrably).
• Flake the meat away from the bone prior to final step (it should fall away easily).
• For the sauce, place half the water in a saucepan, add the palm sugar and boil until the sugar caramelises.
• Add the ginger, chillies and the remaining water and stir constantly to prevent the sauce from seizing or solidifying.
• Add the lime juice and fish sauce then simmer, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
• Keep warm.
• Heat the oil in a deep pot or wok to very hot and deep-fry the pork meat until golden brown.
• Remove and drain on paper towel.
• Serve by placing the pork in the middle of a plate and pour over the warm chilli caramel sauce.
• Garnish steamed whole baby bok choy.

FATTOUSH SALAD BY NEIL PERRY (LEBANESE)

Steps:

• Heat a little olive oil in a pan and fry the pita bread until crispy.
• Tear the bread into a bowl and add the tear drop tomatoes, onion, sumac, cucumber, salt, pepper, mint, parsley and coriander.
• In a mortar and pestle, pound a pinch of salt together with the garlic and add lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil and pepper.
• Add the dressing to the salad and serve straight away.

JOHN DORY FILLETS SEARED IN INDIAN PASTRY WITH TOMATO CARDAMOM SAUCE

Steps:

• To make the Tomato and Cardamom Sauce, heat the oil until very hot in a heavy-based pot. Add the onion, ginger, garlic and salt. Lower the heat and cook over a moderate heat, stirring constantly to prevent burning. Cook until well caramelised, approximately 1 hour. Add the turmeric, cloves and cardamom, and cook for a further 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook slowly for 20 minutes until a thickish sauce forms. Set aside.
• To make the Indian Pastry, combine the two flours with the salt in a bowl. Make a well in the middle and add the egg, yoghurt, oil and water. Mix with a fork until they form a sticky mass, then knead on a bench for 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. Allow the dough to rest for 30 minutes. Divide the dough into 4 equal parts. Roll them out as thinly as possible on a lightly floured bench. Place them between sheets of greaseproof paper and stack them on top of each other and refrigerate until needed. Don't roll them out in advance of the time you need them, as they do not keep well when rolled out.
• Lay out the pastry sheets on a chopping board and place a fillet at one end. Fold the other half of the sheet over to completely enclose the fish, and trim the pastry right to the edge of the fish. Brush both sides of the pastry with clarified butter and wrap in greaseproof paper. Refrigerate for 10 minutes. Repeat with the others.
• Heat up the sauce and keep warm. Set up a steamer to cook the spinach. Place a heavy-based frying pan on the stove to cook the fish (do 2 at a time). Put 15 ml clarified butter in the pan and heat to almost smoking. Add the fish and cook for about 3 minutes. Turn the fish over with a fish slice (spatula), and cook for a further 2 minutes. Remove and drain on kitchen paper. Wipe out the pan and repeat the process. Steam the spinach.
• To serve, spoon about 100 to 120 ml (1/2 cup) of the Tomato and Cardamom Sauce into the middle of 4 white plates. Place the yoghurt on top and the spinach on the yoghurt. Cut each piece of fish in half and place on top. Serve immediately.

CHILLI-SALT SQUID

Steps:

• Clean squid by gently pulling head and tentacles away from the body.
• Pull out the clear backbone (quill) from inside the body and discard entrails.
• Cut tentacles from the head just below the eyes; discard head.
• Remove side wings and fine membrance from body.
• Rinse body, tentacles and wings thoroughly and pat dry with kitchen paper.
• Cut squid down the centre so that it will open flat out, and slice body and wings into 5mm (1/4in) wide strips.
• In a large bowl, combine flour, chilli powder and salt.
• Add squid, including tentacles, and toss to coat, shaking off any excess flour.
• Heat oil in a hot wok until the surface seems to shimmer slightly.
• Add half the squid and deep-fry for about 1 minute, or until just tender and beginning to colour.
• Remove with a slotted spoon and drain well on kitchen paper.
• Repeat process with remaining squid.
• Add chillies to the same hot oil and fry for about 30 seconds, or until they are a deep bright-red colour; remove with a slotted spoon and drain well.
• Arrange squid on a platter and garnish with fried chillies, spring onions and coriander.
• Serve immediately, with lemon halves.