Tropical salt fish fritters, ‘zing ting’ aioli and a winter citrus salad
Salt fish usually requires overnight soaking, but this cheat’s version speeds up the process. Use it to make beautifully flavoured fritters, which go perfectly with a zingy aioli and refreshing winter citrus salad.
Ingredients
For the cheat’s salt fish
- 250g/9oz white fish (cod works really well)
- coarse sea salt
For the ‘zing ting’ aioli
- ½ thumb-sized piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp tamarind paste
- 1 tsp Scotch bonnet-based pepper sauce (or a fingernail-sized piece of Scotch bonnet, or other chilli)
- 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh coriander leaves
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ½ lime, juice only
For the winter citrus salad
- 1 blood orange, peel and pith removed and flesh cut into 1½cm/½in-thick slices
- ¼ red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 clementine, peel and pith removed and flesh cut into 1½cm/½in-thick slices
- 1 grapefruit, peel and pith removed and flesh cut into 1½cm/½in-thick slices
- 1 tbsp clear honey
- ½ thumb-sized piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and grated
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- micro coriander, to garnish
For the tropical salt fish fritters
- 90²µ/3¼´Ç³ú plain flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 125ml/4fl oz milk, or water
- 2 spring onions, bulb discarded, finely chopped
- ¼ red pepper, diced
- cheat’s salt fish (or 100g–125g/3½oz-4½oz salt cod, separated into large flakes)
- vegetable oil, for frying
- black pepper
To serve
Method
To make the cheat’s salt fish, arrange the fish in a deep dish, skin-side down (if applicable). Sprinkle over enough sea salt to cover the fish, then set aside in the fridge for 1 hour.
Rinse the fish under cold water, then put in a bowl and cover with cold water. Set aside in the fridge for 10 minutes, then change the water and leave for another 20 minutes. Change the water again and leave the fish for 10 minutes more.
Bring a pan of water to the boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Add the fish and cook for about 5 minutes, until just cooked. Leave to cool, then separate into large flakes with your hands. Set aside.
To make the aioli, blitz the ginger, tamarind paste, pepper sauce, garlic and a pinch of sea salt in a small food processor until smooth. Whisk in the remaining ingredients and set aside.
To make the salad, put the sliced blood orange, clementine and grapefruit in a serving bowl with the sliced onion.
Whisk together the honey, grated ginger and olive oil in a small bowl until combined, then season with salt and pepper. Pour the dressing over the fruit and onion, carefully tossing through. Garnish with the micro coriander. Set aside.
To make the fritters, mix together all the dry ingredients in a bowl, along with a pinch of salt and black pepper. Gradually mix in the milk or water, until you get a thick, dropping batter-like consistency. Stir in the spring onions, pepper and salt fish, being careful not to break up the fish too much.
Fill a deep, heavy-based pan with a few inches of vegetable oil. Heat until a piece of bread sizzles and turns golden immediately when dropped in. Fry tablespoonfuls of the batter in batches for a couple of minutes each, until golden brown and crisp. Set aside on a plate lined with kitchen paper.
Put the fritters on a serving plate with the aioli. Scatter over the micro coriander and amaranth leaves and serve with the winter citrus salad alongside.
