This recipe takes its inspiration from the popular blackened fish of New Orleans. Don’t be put off by how dark the cooked fish looks, it tastes great, and the lime butter gives it a real lift.
INGREDIENTS:
4 x 200g Mirror Dory fillets, skin off
½ cup vegetable oil
4 lime cheeks, to serve
Green salad, to serve
Spice Mix
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
½ tablespoon dried garlic
4 dried chillies, coarsely chopped (see notes)
½ tablespoon salt flakes
½ cup sweet paprika
Lime Butter
1 lime, zest grated, juiced
125g butter, softened
1 teaspoon salt flakes
METHOD:
Make Lime Butter: combine all ingredients well. Roll butter into a cylinder shape in plastic wrap, refrigerate until firm (see notes).
Make Spice Mix: dry roast all the seeds for a few minutes, until aromatic. Grind to a fine powder in a spice grinder. Add garlic, chillies and salt and grind until fine, then stir in paprika.
Place spice mix on a flat plate. Pat the fish dry with paper towel. Brush both sides with vegetable oil and roll in the spice mix, ensuring they are evenly coated.
Heat remaining oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Cook the fish for 4-6 minutes each side, until spices begin to blacken and the flesh flakes easily when tested with a fork.
Put fish on plates, place a thin disc of Lime Butter on top of each one, garnish with a lime cheek and serve with green salad.
NOTES:
Remove seeds from chillies before chopping for a milder flavour.
This recipe only uses a small amount of the Lime Butter, the remainder can be frozen and pieces cut off as needed to melt over fish or vegetables.
This recipe can also be cooked on a BBQ or char-grill plate.
ALTERNATIVE SPECIES:
Leatherjacket, Morwong, Redfish, Snapper or any of the Bream or Dory species.