Mercurio’s Goan-style fish curry

Paul Mercurio cooks up a Goan-style fish curry with stout and hop cones…

Serves six

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons Olive oil
• 1 Red Onion – sliced
• 2 cloves of garlic – finely sliced
• 2cm piece of ginger – peeled and sliced
• ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon cayenne powder
• 400 mils of coconut cream
• 200 mils of Cascade Stout
• 500g of Jap pumpkin – cut into very small cubes
• 300 g of tuna – cut into large pieces
• 250g of flat head fillets – cut in large pieces
• 250g gurnard filets – cut into large pieces
• 200g squid – cut in large pieces and scored
• 1 lime
• 2 long green chillies – halved and chopped into fours
• 1 large tomato – cut into eighths
• 6 fresh whole hop cones– see note
• ½ cup Pumpkin seeds – dry roasted
• Fresh coriander for garnish – finely chopped

Heat olive oil in a large casserole pot over high heat. When hot add the onion and stir turn heat to medium and cook until caramelised stirring occasionally.

Add garlic and ginger to pan and cook for another 4 to 5 minutes stirring.

Add all of the spices and mix well to combine and allow to cook for several minutes until fragrant.

Add the coconut milk and then the beer turn up the heat and bring to the simmer stirring well so as to mix the spices well through the liquid.

Add the pumpkin and bring back to the simmer.

Put a lid on the pot and simmer gently for about 20 to 25 minutes stirring occasionally.

Remove the lid and allow the sauce to cook until all of the pumpkin has dissolved and thickened what I will now call the gravy.

That is what I love about this sauce it is more like a thick gravy that will coat the fish when you serve it. To finish the sauce add the tomatoes, the green chilli’s and a generous squeeze of lime juice.

If you are using hop cones put them in now and let them simmer in the sauce for about 5 minutes. Keep tasting the sauce as the hops will add a lovely fruity flavour but if left in too long they will also start to add quite a strong bitter character so it is best to remove them before that happens.

With the sauce on a gentle simmer add in the tuna first and allow to cook for a couple of minutes before adding all the other fish. Stir well and turn up the heat so you have a more robust simmer, stir well and keep an eye on the fish so you do not overcook it.

Serve over white rice and garnish with the toasted pumpkin seeds and some fresh chopped coriander.

Note: You can buy dried hop cones form your local home brew store or ask your friends if they home brew or know someone who does and ask for a couple of hops! Ask for floral or aroma hops as they will not be so bitter.