3 February 2012

A PERFECTLY SUSTAINABLE DINNER

With good friends invited for dinner on the weekend, I challenged myself to provide an appropriate fishy dinner for our beach setting.

I served a meal that was entirely local, and we became hunters and gatherer to find seafood for our feast. I plunged into the ocean to gather tuatuas for fritters, while the husband went fishing. He's a star; returned with a large kahawai and a 1 metre kingfish. So we had the makings of a fine meal, and all the fish is on the sustainable list; in other words there’s plenty there and the species are not threatened.

We started with the tuatua fritters pictured above, plus that sashimi kingfish dressed with lemon juice, olive oil, parsley, pink peppercorns and salt. Then came the gorgeous smoked kahawai with a salad. I love to marinate the kahawai in ponzu (Japanese soy with citrus and seaweed) and brown sugar and then smoke it over aromatic tea leaves.

The main was pan-fried kingfish with lemon, new potatoes and delicious local vegetables; beetroot, fried aubergines that were simmered in tomato and garlic, and steamed green beans.

To finish, ice cream, jelly, berries and meringues with accompanying piano and singing. Yes! A perfect evening.