Blue Cod (Maori: Rāwaru) is a wild-caught reef delicacy endemic to the coastal waters of New Zealand. Named for it’s colour, Blue Cod is not technically a cod, but rather a type of Sand Perch. It has moist white flesh with a delicate flavour, light texture and defined flakes. If you don’t live in the region, try this recipe with any mild-tasting white fish.
To make the sauce, finely chop 4 red shallots, 4 cloves of garlic, 3- 4 mild red chillies and a 4cm (1½”) piece of ginger. Heat 2 tablespoons of peanut oil in a wok or frypan and fry the chopped ingredients until the shallots wilt. Add 1 tablespoon of sugar, 2 tablespoons of Shaoxing rice wine, 1 tablespoon of light soy sauce and 1 tablespoon of chilli oil (you can reduce this amount if you want it less spicy). Mix 3 teaspoons of cornflour into a small amount of cold water then add water until you have 180ml (6 fl oz). Add this to the sauce and continue to cook until the sauce has thickened. For the fish, choose a saucepan that will fit your fish for steaming and fill with enough water to steam the fish. You can either steam the fish on a plate or in a steamer lined with lettuce leaves. Place the steamer or plate above the water. Score each side of the fish quite deeply with 3 cuts and place it on the plate or in the lettuce-lined steamer. Pour some of the sauce into and over the fish, making sure it goes into the cuts and put some some sprigs of fresh coriander (cilantro) into the cavity of the fish. Steam until the fish is cooked through and flaking or the internal temperature reaches 63ºC (145ºF). To serve, reheat the remaining sauce and pour it over the fish. Garnish with fresh coriander and serve with steamed rice.
michelle picker cooks 