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Pickled fish
Curried pickled hake
Ingelegde vis: Cape Easter hake in a turmeric and curry onion pickle
Long before Good Friday, Cape Town kitchens fill with the smell of frying fish and boiling vinegar, because ingelegde vis has to be made two days ahead and is eaten cold over the Easter weekend with hot cross buns or buttered bread. Firm fillets of hake or yellowtail are fried until cooked through, then buried under rings of onion in a bright yellow, curry-scented sweet-and-sour pickle. The fish firms up and soaks up the sauce, and the onions stay slightly crunchy. Cook the onions too long and they turn limp and slimy in the jar, which is the mistake most first attempts make. Chef's tip: let the pickle cool until just warm before pouring it over, so the fried crust stays intact instead of turning to porridge.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the fish
- 2 ¼ lb skinless hake or yellowtail filletscut into 8 portions, bones removed
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 ⅛ oz plain flourfor dusting
- ¾ cup sunflower oilfor shallow frying
For the pickle
- 4 onionscut into 5 mm rings
- 2 cups brown or white grape vinegar
- 1 cup water
- 4 oz sugar
- 2 tbsp mild curry powder
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 2 cloves garlicsliced
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 1 red chilli (optional)sliced; optional
- 1 tbsp cornflourmixed with 2 tbsp cold water
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Pat 2 ¼ lb skinless hake or yellowtail fillets dry and season it all over with 1 ½ tsp salt. Dust each piece lightly in 2 ⅛ oz plain flour and shake off the excess.
Step 2: Heat ¾ cup sunflower oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat until a pinch of flour sizzles at once. Fry the fish in batches, 3–4 minutes a side, until golden outside and opaque all the way through, flaking easily when you press the thickest piece.
16 minStep 3: Lift the fish onto a rack or kitchen paper and let it cool completely.
Step 4: In a wide saucepan, bring 2 cups brown or white grape vinegar, 1 cup water, 4 oz sugar, 2 tbsp mild curry powder, 1 tsp ground turmeric, 2 cloves garlic, 8 allspice berries, 1 tsp black peppercorns, 6 bay leaves, 1 red chilli if using and the rest of ½ tsp salt to the boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
5 minStep 5: Add 4 onions and simmer over a medium heat for 4–5 minutes, just until they lose their raw bite but still have some crunch.
5 minStep 6: Stir in 1 tbsp cornflour and simmer for 1 minute more, until the pickle turns slightly glossy and thickened. Take it off the heat and let it cool until just warm.
1 minStep 7: Layer the fish and onions in a glass or ceramic dish (not aluminium), spooning pickle over each layer, and finish with onions and the rest of the liquid so the fish is covered.
Step 8: Once cool, cover and refrigerate for 2 days before eating, so the pickle soaks right in. Keep it in the fridge and eat within 5 days, always lifting pieces out with a clean spoon.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 290 kcal
- Protein
- 21 g
- Carbs
- 30 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pickled fish take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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