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Fishing in New Zealand
With over 15,000kms of coastline, there’s no shortage of places for Kiwis to throw out a line.
In the North Island, you can expect to catch snapper, kingfish, gurnard and tarakihi. In the far south, you’re looking at blue cod, trumpeter and groper for your dinner.
And it’s not just off the coast. Our crystal clear lakes and rivers provide incredible freshwater fishing, with rainbow and brown trout ready to be caught, scaled and cooked up!
All of them are delicious in their own way, but when cooked to your own specific taste, you’ve got something special on your hands.
With that in mind, here are three fish recipes for you to try using our delicious oils.
Poached snapper with tomato and saffron
Snapper isn’t a single species of fish – in fact, the snapper family covers 113 species! The Australasian snapper is the one found off our shores, copper-pink on top with a silver-white underside and small blue dots on their sides. Incredibly, they can live for up to 60 years!
Snappers are the most popular fish in New Zealand for catching and eating, so make sure you cook it right with this recipe!
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp Olivado Avocado oil
- 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 red chilli, diced
- 1 x 400g / 14oz can tomatoes
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- 2 bay leaves
- pinch of saffron threads
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 4 good size snapper fillets
- crusty bread to toast and serve
Method
Heat oil in a medium frying pan over medium/low heat. Add garlic and chilli and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 3 minutes.
Add tomatoes, wine, bay leaves, saffron, and ½ cup water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer to let the flavours come together, 5–7 minutes; season with salt and pepper.
Reduce heat to medium-low; season fish with salt and pepper and nestle into the pan. Reduce heat, cover and cook at a bare simmer until the fish is opaque throughout and beginning to flake, 5–7 minutes depending on thickness.
Gently transfer cod to shallow bowls and spoon poaching liquid over.
Kiwi Beer Battered Fish
Nothing is more Kiwi than “Fush ‘n Chups” and this recipe for beer-battered fish is the best you’ll ever taste!
Ingredients
For the fish
- 1 ½ cups self-raising flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp malt vinegar
- 1 egg, whisked until fluffy
- 300ml / 10fl.oz beer, very cold [we used a pilsner]
- 4 fish fillets, fresh
- 1 ½ L Avocado cooking oil, for deep frying
- Lemon, to serve
For the chips
- 500g / 1.1lb potatoes, cut into chunky fries
- A drizzle Avocado cooking oil
- Sea Salt
For the Mushy Peas
- 1 1/2 cup of frozen peas
- ½ tsp salt
- A handful of mint leaves
- 1 Tbsp of avocado cooking oil
Method
For the fries
Heat oven to 200°C / 390°F and line a flat baking tray with parchment.
In a bowl, lather the fries in salt and oil. Spread out on the baking tray and bake for 30-40 minutes until golden and crunchy making sure to flip them over halfway through.
For the peas
Boil the peas for 5 minutes and drain. In a food processor, blitz together all of the mushy pea ingredients until pureed with a little texture.
For the fish
Heat the Avocado Oil in a deep pot or deep fryer to 180°C / 355°F. Have your fish fillets, coating flour, tongs and a tray lined with paper towels ready to go.
Place the self-raising flour and salt in a bowl, make a well and pour the egg into the centre, pour over the beer, add the malt vinegar (this will make the batter extra crispy!) and whisk until a smooth batter forms.
Dip the fillets one at a time into the flour, shake off excess then dip into the batter. Carefully lower it into the hot oil, and drag it backwards and forwards for a few seconds before letting it go — this will help to seal the batter.
Cook for 2-4 minutes, depending on the thickness of each fillet, until crisp and golden. Lift out of the oil and drain on paper towels.
Miang Coconut, Fish, Mint and Pomelo
Miang means ‘food wrapped in leaves’ and is a Southeast Asian snack, originating in Thailand and Laos. This quick recipe is simply delicious, only takes 5 minutes to make and is perfect for a light lunch or even a snack between meals!
Ingredients
- 16 betel leaves
- 200g / 7oz smoked fish
- 2 Tbsp ginger, finely sliced
- 2 Tbsp fresh coconut, shredded
- ¼ cup mint
- 1 cup pomelo or ruby grapefruit
- 2 stalks lemongrass, finely sliced
- 4 kaffer lime leaves, finely sliced
- ½ red chilli, finely diced
- ¼ cup coriander
Method
Dressing: 1 tsp chilli paste, 1 tsp palm sugar, 1 Tbsp fish sauce, 3 Tbsp lime juice, 2 Tbsp coconut cream. Place into a jar and shake to combine. Set aside.
Combine the miang ingredients and carefully dress. Place a spoon of the mix onto a betel leaf, top with chilli and coriander and serve.
Bring fish recipes to the next level with Olivado
Kiwis definitely have a special relationship when it comes to fish.
But to make your meal stand out and be memorable is to use our delicious cooking oils.
Whether it’s our mouth-watering Extra Virgin Coconut Oil or our award-winning extra virgin avocado oil, any fish recipe can be taken to the next level with the right cooking oil.
If you would like to know more about us or our range of oils, then check out our Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest pages for more seafood recipes, special offers, and the latest news.
Or if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact us and our friendly and helpful staff will be happy to answer any questions you may have.
