I don’t eat enough fish. I know it, but it’s one of those things that gets pushed aside for my ever enthusiastic quest for the new lamb casserole etc. Tonight we ate this. It was lovely. Let’s hope I can keep up the good work. It’s a mixture of nationalities, the bean puree is a Georgian classic called ‘Mtsvane Lobios Mkhali” apparently.

Serves 2

RECIPE:

INGREDIENTS:
2 x fresh trout fillets (skin on)
salt & pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

2 medium/large potatoes (1cm sliced)
1/4 cup chicken or vegetable stock
1/4 teaspoon coriander powder
1/4 teaspoon cumin powder

250g french green beans
1/4 cup shelled walnuts
1 large garlic clove (peeled)
1/4 cup fresh coriander (chopped)
1/4 cup fresh flat leaf parsley (chopped)
1/2 tablespoon fresh dill (chopped)
1/2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
salt & pepper

DIRECTIONS:

BEAN PUREE
Trim the beans and cook them in boiling water until very soft then drain. In a food processor or with a hand blender, process the walnuts with the garlic and herbs until a thick paste is achieved. Add the cooked beans and process further until pureed. Add 1/2 cup warm water to thin the puree out a little. Return to the pan, stir in the salt, pepper and vinegar and set aside. Warm just before serving.

POTATOES:
In a medium, non-stick pan add the 1/4 cup of stock, coriander and cumin and gently bring to the boil. Add the potatoes, stir in briefly then pop on the lid. Reduce the heat to very low, and cook for 20-25 minutes until the liquid is almost gone and the potatoes tender.

FISH:
Season the fish generously with salt & pepper on the skin side. In a frying pan melt the oils till their quite hot. Add the fish, skin side down, to the pan and fry for 4-5 minutes until the skin is very crispy and just about to blacken. Turn the fillet over and cook for another couple of minutes or until your happy the fish is cooked. Remove from the heat and let the fish sit for a little.

SERVING:
Big spoonful of puree Over the whole plate with slices of potato in the centre, topped with a fish fillet. Drizzle a little white wine vinegar over the fish to finish.

This dish comes from the country of Georgia, I bought a Georgian cookbook in Melbourne recently and this stood out as something to cook. It’s very delicious sauce is made of plums but isn’t too sweet at all. It’s delicious. I would imagine the pretty lady (above) would whip you this up in a blink of an eye.

Georgian Meatballs
INGREDIENTS:

500g pork mince
450g beef mince
1 small onion (grated and squeezed of its juice)
4 garlic cloves (mashed into paste)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons sumac

DIRECTIONS:
In a small frying pan, dry fry the corriander seeds and fenugreek for 1-2 minutes and then place in a pestle & mortar or spice grinder and grind to a fine powder.
Mix all the ingredients together with your hands to ensure everything is very well combined. Mould the meat into 1 tablespoon size balls and set aside.
Heat some oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat and fry the meatballs in batches until they are nicely browned. Set aside.

Tkemali Sauce
INGREDIENTS:

750g plums (not sweet)
1/4 cup water
3-4 teaspoons coriander seeds
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
2 garlic cloves (mashed into paste)
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon mint (finely chopped)
1/3 cup fresh coriander (finely chopped)

DIRECTIONS:
In a small frying pan, dry fry the coriander and fennel, then grind to a powder in a pestle & mortar or spice grinder. Combine this powder with the cayenne pepper, garlic and salt and set aside.
Cut plums in half, remove the stones then chop roughly.
Place the plums in a pan with the 1/4 cup of water and simmer for 15 minutes with the lid on. Remove from the heat, and pour into a food processor and blend to a paste. Return to the pan and cook for 3 minutes.
Add the spice mix and cook for 5 minutes then remove from the heat. Stir in the fresh mint and coriander.
Leave to cool to room temperature.

SERVING:
Serve the meatballs hot or cold with the tkemali on the side together with some bread and salad.