Fried Whiting Smoked Eggplant and Caperberries

Whiting

This Fried Whiting with smoked Eggplant is a treat in anyone’s country

I started off the day standing in the line at the fish market talking to the lady beside me. She was from the Croatian Coast near Dubrovnik and she just happened to be buying Whiting to fry. This took me back to boat trips on sunny days in Zadar where we ate fried fish just like this,  and before I knew it I had a kilo wrapped and paid for. I cooked it with some other things in my kitchen.

Fried Whiting

Caperberries from Hotly Spiced

These caperberries were given to me as a gift by Charlie from www.hotlyspiced.com & were the perfect thing to have with my fried Whiting. Caperberries are the fruit of the caper bush.  I love them and they went so well with my smoky puree of eggplant and chickpea that I seasoned up with this amazingly potent smoked salt. A couple of weeks ago I went to an open day at “Salt Meat and Cheese” in Alexandria, Sydney and met Rowena from www.thesaltbox.com.au. After I tasted her salts, I was very keen to cook with some, most especially the Smoked Applewood, and this is also in my dish. You can still make this dish without the smoked salt but I am telling you….you need some.

Apple wood smoked salt

The last and most delicious thing that is in my kitchen are some lovingly grown greens and vegetables that Celia and Pete (www.figjamandlimecordial.com)  gave me when I visited them this week.

Celia and Petes vegies

Fried Whiting with smoked Eggplant, chickpea puree, capers and roast tomatoes

Fried Whiting Smoked Eggplant and Caperberries

Use any kind of white fish you like. If you prefer fillets then use these instead. This recipe uses Australian cup measurements.

4.80 from 5 votes

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Servings 4

Ingredients

  

• 500 gm Whiting cleaned (2 pieces of fish per person)
• 100 gm gluten free flour or plain
• 4 Tablespoons of cumin
• 1 tablespoon Smoked salt
• 4 Tablespoons sesame seeds
• 250 ml oil for frying, 1 cup
• 250 gm eggplant 1 medium
• 400 gm chickpeas drained
• 60 ml lemon Juice 1/4 cup
• 125 ml tahini ( sesame paste- from supermarkets 1/2 cup )
• 1 Tablespoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon Smoked salt
• 200 gm Cherry Tomatoes 1 punnet
• 20 ml olive oil
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• pepper
• 1/2 bunch parsley or coriander roughly chopped
• 6 whole Caperberries

Instructions

 

• Put the eggplant over an open gas flame turning occasionally until the skin is charred. (Approx 10 minutes). Pop the eggplant into the oven for another 10 minutes until very soft . This can be done under the grill too.
• Peel off the dark skin, keeping any juice. Tip the eggplant into a food processor or a blender and add the chickpeas, lemon juice, 1 tablespoons cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt and tahini and blend until smooth. Add more lemon juice ans smoked salt after tasting if necessary
• Cut the tomatoes into 1/2's or 1/4's. Toss in the olive oil and lemon zest and put onto a tray and roast till just softening. Put aside
• Dry the fish. Mix all of the dry ingredients (flour, 4 ta cumin and 1 T smoked salt) in a container and toss the fish till coated. Preheat the oil and fry the fish on high till brown and crispy. Drain on absorbent paper.
• Serve the fish with some of the eggplant puree, roast tomatoes tossed with the chopped parsley or coriander and Caperberries

Whiting

Fried Whiting in my kitchen

For other great fish recipes try these:

• • Dukkah Crusted Ocean Trout with Preserved Lemon Mash
  • Prawn cakes with green curried pea puree
  • Whole Baby Snapper with Asparagus and Capers