The Fat Fish Burmese Seafood Curry

We asked.  You answered!   Below is one of our and your favourite Fat Fish favourites.  Dead easy, super delicious and 100% rewarding.

If you are looking for quality seafood during the lock down, Robberg Fine Foods is open in Plettenberg Bay (now doing home deliveries too) and Catchalot in George.  Most of the other ingredients should still be readily available – nothing too out of the ordinary on that front.

Think of this as a celebratory, “just made it through the first week of lock down” dinner.  Would love to see some pics of you and your loved ones enjoying a Fat Fish dinner at home.  Have a super wonderful weekend all!

The Fat Fish – Burmese Seafood Curry

Serves 4 – 6

Burmese Sauce

30 ml               vegetable oil

350 g                onion chopped

15 g                   garlic chopped

1 tsp                 masala spice

½ tsp               cayenne pepper

2 tsp                 paprika or sweet smoked paprika

20 g                  mild curry powder

20 g                  fresh ginger finely grated – retain juice

salt fine

350 ml              water

450 g                chopped tomatoes (tinned or fresh – if fresh make sure they are beautifully ripe)

60 ml                fish sauce

400 ml              coconut milk

250 ml              cream or coconut cream

1 bunch            fresh roughly chopped coriander

80 g                  toasted coconut shavings for garnish

Seafood

800 g    fresh firm fish – Gurnard, Kingklip, Dorado work well (Hake if not wonderfully fresh may break up a little)

200 g    calamari – baby squids sliced (Don’t slice it to small)

40 – 50 mussels – we leave the mussels in the full shell as it looks beautiful in the plate but you could just add the mussel meat. Depending 8 – 10 mussels per person.

  Substitute the calamari for prawns for some decadence – but truly any great seafood will do.

Method

  1. In a medium size heavy based pot fry onion and garlic on a medium heat till just soft.
  2. Now sprinkle the masala spice, cayenne pepper, paprika and mild curry powder evenly over the cooked onion and garlic.
  3. Fry till fragrant. Add a little oil and the fresh ginger with retained juice. Fry quickly!
  4. Add the fish sauce and chopped tomatoes. Cook for 1 minute.
  5. Now add the coconut milk and water. Taste, then season with salt if required. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer.
  6. As the sauce reduces and starts to thicken add the fresh cream.
  7. Do not reduce to much. The sauce should be just thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Now that the sauce is ready you can add your seafood.

Firm white fish first, till just cooked and then add the mussels and calamari.

Ensure the sauce comes to a simmer for 2 minutes.

Add the fresh coriander and ladle into deep bowls.

Top with the toasted coconut shavings and a few sprigs of coriander for colour and flavour.

Serve with long grained rice or just for kicks you could spoon over freshly cooked pasta such as tagliatelle. Enjoy!