Eating the Country - Seafood at Southport

This place is great for atmosphere and good honest seafood, shrimp were a little overcooked but still pretty good and the crabcake was really tasty. Loved the fact they gave us salad instead of tons of fries. They have a great system where you just go and get beers as and when, then tell them at the end how many you had. View of bay stunning, clientele and staff friendly and fun. If you ever come by Southport, check it out.

Fish Fried Rice

A great way to use up cooked rice – we always boil more than we need and freeze the rest for quick meals like this one. To keep this as healthy as poss I used canola oil which has omega oils in it. Choose a firm fish that will keep its shape when cooked – I used Nile perch (one of the few types of fish we can get here) but any thick white fish should do like cod or haddock though it may flake a little.

For 2

- 1 tablespoon of canola, vegetable or light olive oil
- 1 tsp on cumin
- 1 tsp or ground coriander seeds
- 1 large cup of cooked rice
- 1 medium sized onion finely chopped
- 1 large clove of garlic finely chopped
- 2 stalks of celery finely chopped
- 1 large ripe tomatoe finely sliced
- 2 white fish fillets cut into large bite sized chunks
- 1 small chilli finely chopped – optional
- 1 heaped teaspoon of ginger
- 1 dessertspoon of rice vinegar or lime juice
- 1 dessertspoon of fish sauce
- ½ dessertspoon of tamarind or pad thai sauce
- 1 dessertspoon of soy sauce (depending on how salty/sweet you like it)

- Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan over a medium hear

- Fry the spices for minute or so

- Add the onion and soften

- Add the garlic and celery and fry until the celery is fairly soft

- Add the tomato and chilli if using and cook until tomatoes are liquid

- Add the fish and ginger and fry fish on all sides

- Add the rice and the rest of the ingredients

- Cook until fish is tender

· You could also add any of the following – cashew or peanuts, beaten egg, fresh coriander , tuna or crab meat, bean sprouts etc, etc, etc!

Zambia Here I come!

Market and village life in Zambia.

Top picture: Kapenta, dried fish

Middle picture: cooking oil for sale

Bottom picture: shelling maize to make mealie meal (flour)

I am flying out today to join my husband in Zambia. I hope my next blog post won't be too far behind this one, but we don't have internet yet because we don't even have a place to live! Still there are internet cafes so I hope to make good use of those.

Stay tuned.

Zanzibar Inspired Fish

Soon we'll be returning to Zambia and I cannot wait to share with you all the little known cuisine of this part of Africa, as well as some of my favourite recipes!

In the mean time, here is a kind of stew/curry/soup that was inspired by very little being left in the cupboard, and a desire to cook something that would remind my husband and I of the spectacular food we had when we visited Zanzibar.

I use river cobbler for this dish simply because it is incredibly cheap and keeps its shape when cooked. Try cod, or another firm fish that will not disintegrate when cooked.

Serves 2
- two fillets of river cobbler, or other firm white fish
- 1 meduim onion sliced
- 1 tablespoon of groundnut oil or a mixture of vegetable and sesame oil
- 2 cloves of garlic - finely chopped
- 4 cardomom pods
- 1 heaped teaspoon of turmeric
- 1 teaspon of ground cumin
- a 2 cm pieces of fresh ginger, unpeeled and finely grated
- the grate rind of a lime
- the juice of a lime
- half a can of coconut milk
- a tablespoon of thai fish sauce
- half a pint of chicken stock
- 2 fistfuls of frozen french/green beans
- a large handful of coriander


Mix together the lime rind and ginger and cover the fish with it, leave to one side at room temperature.

Fry the sliced onion in the oil until soft

Add the garlic and cumin, fry for a minute or so.

Press the cardomom pods lightly so they split a little then add those

Add the fish and seal on each side

Pour in the stock, coconut milk, fish sauce, lime juice, turmeric and half the coriander and green beans

Simmer for about 15 minutes or until fish is tender - do not overcook!

Check for seasoning, add the rest of the coriander

Serve over rice or thick white noodles, chipattis would also be good