Fresh Fish with Chilli-Tomato-Lime Jam

Lip-smackingly good! This is food with real flavour. The cumin in the batter gives the fish a lift. Together with the slightly sweet chilli jam, it’s a great treat to eat.

Serves 2

Chilli-Tomato-Lime Jam

• 30 ml sunflower oil
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
• 2 red chillies, seeded and chopped
• 500 g tomatoes, peeled and chopped or 1 x 800 g tin tomatoes, chopped
• Juice and rind of 2 limes
• Sea salt, to taste
• 50 ml brown sugar

Fish

• 500 g fresh white fish fillets, such as hake, dorado, sea bass or kingklip; cut into 5 x 5 cm chunks
• 2 large eggs
• 140 g self-raising flour (250 ml)
• 30 g self-raising flour (60 ml)
• 125 – 190 ml soda water, or water with gas
• Sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
• 5 ml cumin seeds
• Oil for deep-fat frying

1. Chilli-Tomato-Lime Jam: Place oil into a medium-sized saucepan, and sauté onions until translucent. Add in garlic and chillies; cook for a further minute.

2. Stir in tomatoes, juice and rind of the limes, salt and sugar. Cook over a moderate heat, stirring from time to time. Simmer gently for about 30 minutes, until mixture has reduced, and is thick and jam-like in texture.Set aside.

3. Batter: Using a medium-sized mixing bowl, beat the eggs. Add in the 140 g self-raising flour, water, salt and cumin seeds. Whisk well to obtain a smooth batter.

4. Fish: Place the fish into a plastic bag together with the 30 g self-raising flour. Seal the packet.
5. Toss well to coat the fish.
6. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a moderate heat. Test the temperature of the oil with a teaspoon of batter. The batter should fizz around the edges at once. The oil is then ready to use.

7. Place the coated fish cubes into the batter; coat well.
8. Drop coated fish cubes into the hot oil, and cook for about 4 – 5 minutes. Drain well on paper towels.
9. Serve immediately with chilli-tomato-lime jam, and thick sweet potato and butternut chips; or place fish into a wrap with the jam.