This aromatic dish is loaded with Indian-inspired flavours.
Ingredients
Serves 4 people
Spiced chickpeas
- 1 tbsp ghee, butter, clarified butter (or a couple of splashes of oil)
- 500g or 1 big onion, chopped up into a rough dice
- 65g or 2 fat inches of ginger, grated or whizzed
- 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped or whizzed
- Spice mix: 2 tsp coriander ground, 1 tsp cumin ground, 1 tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp black pepper, 2 tsp sea salt
- 1 tin chopped tomatoes
- 1 tin chick peas
Hake
- 2 fillets of hake
- a little light olive oil
- a little sea salt to season
- 25g butter
- A little water
Method
Spiced chickpeas
1. Put the ghee (butter or oil) into a heavy bottomed saucepan or casserole dish and heat on a medium flame (temperature)
2. Add the onion, ginger, garlic and sweat gently on a low heat until the onions have softened and the garlic gives off its gorgeous fragrance. Try not to colour the garlic, as this will give it and the end dish a bitter flavour.
3. Add the spices and stir for a couple of minutes to combine all the flavours. It may look a bit dry at this stage, but don't worry…it’s all good!
4. Open the tins, drain the chick peas in a sieve. Discard the salty water – you’re not going to need it. Pour the chick peas and chopped tomatoes into the pan, turn up the heat and gently stir.
5. Heat the mixture until it just starts to bubble, then turn the heat down and simmer for a few minutes, 2 or 3 minutes will do.
6. Then, turn the heat off and set aside, keeping it warm.
Hake
1. Grab a large thick-bottomed frying pan or skillet, place on a medium heat, add a glug of oil and allow to heat up for a minute or two. Ideally the pan should be hot, but not quite at smoking point.
2. Sprinkle a pinch of salt onto the fillets of fish, then using a fish slice or pallet knife, carefully place the fillets into the pan, skin side down
3. Allow to cook until the white flesh starts to just turn opaque and milky, approx. 3 to 4 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillet
4. Take the pan off the heat, turn the fillets over so the skin side is facing up, add a splash of water and add the butter
5. Gently swirl the pan around once or twice making the butter slide around, then set the pan down.
To serve:
1. Take a generous couple of tablespoons of the Chickpeas, place in the centre of each dinner plate, pop a fillet of fish on top, then, using a tablespoon, spoon some of the buttery juices from the pan around the fish onto the plate and serve immediately. Ta dah! Enjoy.
