Pickled Fish with Yellow Rice

The story

Pickled Fish with Yellow Rice belongs to South Africa’s layered food culture, where Indigenous, African, Cape Malay, Indian, Dutch and British traditions have interacted with local produce and practical cooking. The dish is recognised for curried pickled fish. Its success depends on preserving the intended contrast of texture, seasoning and temperature, so the defining ingredient remains clear rather than being buried by garnish or sauce. It is eaten in the setting suggested by its form: as street food, braai food, family cooking or a celebratory sweet, rather than as a generic national dish.

Ingredients

• Baste
• 60 g buttersoftened · 60 g butter, softened
• 70 g apricot jam or peri-peri saucechoose to match dish · 70 g apricot jam or peri-peri sauce, choose to match dish
• Main
• 800 g firm white fishpin bones removed where needed · 800 g firm white fish, pin bones removed where needed
• Marinade
• 35 ml lemon juicefresh · 35 ml lemon juice, fresh
• 18 g garlic clovescrushed · 18 g garlic cloves, crushed
• Sauce
• 180 g onionssliced for pickled fish or curry · 180 g onions, sliced for pickled fish or curry
• 300 ml coconut milk or vinegarcoconut for curry, vinegar for pickled fish · 300 ml coconut milk or vinegar, coconut for curry, vinegar for pickled fish
• Seasoning
• to taste to taste fine sea saltadd gradually · fine sea salt, add gradually
• 2 g black pepperfreshly ground · 2 g black pepper, freshly ground
• Spice
• 12 g curry powderfor pickled fish or curry · 12 g curry powder, for pickled fish or curry

Method

1. Prepare the seafood

   Pat fish or prawns dry. Remove pin bones and cut fish into even portions; leave prawn shells on if grilling for more flavour.

   Look for: Dry surface and clean portions Tip: Dry seafood browns instead of steaming. Avoid: Do not cook seafood straight from wet packaging.

2. Make the baste or sauce

   Mix lemon, garlic, butter and apricot jam, peri-peri, curry spice, vinegar or coconut milk depending on the dish.

   Look for: Balanced sweet, sharp and spicy mixture Tip: Add jam gradually for snoek. Avoid: Do not make the baste too sugary before grilling.

3. Cook with control

   Grill fish over medium coals or simmer seafood curry gently. Fish usually needs 8 to 12 minutes; prawns need 3 to 5 minutes.

   Look for: Fish flakes or prawns turn opaque Tip: Move fish to a cooler part of the grill if sugar darkens. Avoid: Do not overcook seafood.

4. Rest or pickle

   Rest grilled seafood for 3 minutes. For pickled fish, pour warm curry vinegar over fried fish and chill overnight.

   Look for: Juices settle or pickle covers fish Tip: A shallow dish gives even pickling. Avoid: Do not serve pickled fish before flavours develop.

5. Serve

   Serve with yellow rice, salad, lemon, bread or braai sides.

   Look for: Bright garnish and hot or properly chilled fish Tip: Keep extra baste on the side. Avoid: Do not drown grilled fish in sauce.

Nutrition

per serving

Approximate values for recipe content display; will vary by exact brands, fat level, serving size and accompaniments.