Pickled fish, also known as curried fish (or ‘kerrievis’ in Afrikaans) is a dish many South Africans absolutely love! It’s a fabulous summer dish, as the fish in its delicious sauce, is best served ice cold. For those who celebrate Easter, it’s often a popular part of the menu, but pickled fish can be enjoyed all year round.
There are many different recipes for this simple dish made with portions of fish preserved in an aromatic sauce with Malay-style spices and flavours. Perhaps you have your own family’s recipe that has been shared over the years, but you will definitely love this recipe by Heleen Meyer. The sauce always has a sweet-sour base, and you can decide how spicy you want it to be, by adding more chillies or using a spicier curry powder. Different types of fish can also be used for pickled fish, as long as it’s a firm line fish, that will hold its shape in the sauce. The most popular types of fish for this dish are hake, snoek or yellowtail.
This version may seem like a bit more effort, as the fish is first pan-fried and then marinated, but you will agree that it’s so worth it. When made in advance, the aromas get to develop even more. To have a container full of pickled fish in the fridge on a hot day, is such a treat. All you need with it, is a basic green salad to enjoy a wholesome meal. Some believe that a piece of fresh bread is needed to mop up the lovely sauce, but that’s a matter of preference. The fish will keep in the fridge, in an air-tight container, for at least a week – if there’s anything left! Whether pickled fish is part of your heritage, or you have never eaten it before, do try this recipe soon.
Recipe by Heleen Meyer, developed for The AMC Book
Serves 8 – 10
60-75 ml (4-5 tbsp) olive oil
1,5-2 kg firm line fish, sliced into small portions (hake, yellowtail, kingklip, or cob)
salt and black pepper to taste
125 ml (½ cup) soft brown sugar
150 ml smooth apricot jam
750 ml (3 cups) white grape vinegar
300 ml water
35 ml (7 tsp) mild curry powder
15 ml (1 tbsp) ground turmeric
10 ml (2 tsp) whole coriander seeds
10-12 black peppercorns
8 each whole allspice and whole cloves
4 bay leaves or lemon leaves
4 medium onions, thinly sliced
4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
2-3 cm fresh ginger, thinly sliced
1-2 small chillies, seeded and thinly sliced (optional)
45 ml (3 tbsp) cake flour
125 ml (½ cup) sultanas
1. Heat a thin layer of oil over a medium temperature in a large frying pan. Fry a few pieces of fish at a time for about 3-5 minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked. (The thickness of the pieces determines the frying time – take care not to overcook them.)
2. Spoon fish out and drain on paper towel. Repeat with remaining oil and fish, drain, and season to taste. Set aside.
3. Meanwhile, place sugar, jam, vinegar, water, spices and bay or lemon leaves in a saucepan. Heat over a medium temperature, while stirring, to melt the sugar and jam. Bring to the boil and simmer over a lower heat, without the lid, for 10 minutes.
4. Place onions, garlic, ginger and chilli, if using it, in the sauce and simmer without a lid for another 8-10 minutes. The onions must be cooked, but still crunchy. Mix a little of the warm sauce into flour to form a paste and stir it into the sauce. Lower the temperature and simmer for a few minutes until thickened. Stir in sultanas.
5. Spoon some of the sauce into a large dish or container and continue with layers of fish and sauce. Allow to cool completely. Refrigerate and serve ice cold with salad or on its own, if preferred.
Visit Heleen’s website (www.heleenmeyer.co.za) for more recipes like this.
Image by Adel Ferreira, for LiG Tydskrif