Ingredients
- 8 x 90g Gurnard fillets, skin off
- 2 tbsp. ras el hanout (A North African spice mix available from good supermarkets)
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 25g butter, diced
- Juice of ½ a lemon
- 0.5 red onion
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 small bunch Italian parsley, chopped
- 1 small bunch coriander, chopped
- 1 small bunch mint, chopped
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 0.5 tsp turmeric
- 0.5 tsp chilli paste
- 1 tsp honey
- 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 250ml thick plain yoghurt
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Sea salt & pepper
- Extra virgin olive oil to serve
Method
- For the chermoula yoghurt dressing, place red onion, garlic, herbs, spices, honey and olive oil into a food processor. Puree for 1 minute or until smooth, transfer to a bowl, then stir through the yoghurt and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.
- Lightly sprinkle the gurnard fillets with the ras el hanout and season with salt.
- To cook the gurnard fillets, heat the olive oil in a non-stick heavy based frying pan. Add the gurnard and pan-fry on each side for 2–3 minutes or until golden and just cooked through. Add the butter and lemon juice then baste the fish with the pan juices. Remove from the heat.
- To serve, place a large dollop of the chermoula yoghurt onto the centre of 4 plates, place two gurnard fillets on top, then drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil and serve.
Species used in this recipe
Red gurnard Mãori Name: North Island - Pūwhaiau / South Island - Kumukumu
Red gurnard belong to the Triglidae family (gurnards).