David has a way with fish. This amazingly colourful dish was not only stunning to look at but absolutely delicious too.
In a medium bowl combine 2 tablespoons of olive oil with 2 crushed cloves of garlic, a 5cm (2″) piece of finely grated fresh ginger, the finely grated zest of 1 lemon and the crushed seeds of 15 cardamom pods. Mix to a rough paste, then add 6 snapper fillets and coat them with the marinade. Cover and allow to marinate for at least an hour. Meanwhile bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Add 3 beetroots and cook for 40 minutes (15 minutes in a pressure cooker) until soft. Drain and when the beetroot is cool enough to handle, peel and discard the skin, then chop the flesh into 1cm (⅓”) dice. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large fry pan over medium-high heat and fry one large finely diced shallot until it’s soft and caramelised. Add 6 cardamom pods and 1 teaspoon of ground cumin and fry briefly. Add the beetroot, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 10 pitted and halved black olives and ¼ of a teaspoon of salt. Combine well then remove from the heat and set aside in a warm place. Place 85g (3 oz) of flour in a bowl and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Remove the fish from it’s marinade, discarding the marinade, and toss it in the flour to coat it on all sides, shaking off any excess. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 30g (1 oz) of butter in a large fry-pan over medium-high heat. When the butter starts to foam, fry the fish flesh-side down for two minutes. Turn and fry for another two minutes until cooked through. Remove the fish from the pan and place it on a serving platter. Season with a sprinkle of salt and a squeeze of lemon juice. Spoon the beetroot mixture over the fish and garnish with parsley to serve.
*Adapted from a Yotam Ottolenghi recipe
michelle picker cooks 