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Cape Malay Pickled Fish
Ingredients
- 0.5 cup vegetable oil for frying
- 3 pounds cod fillets, cut into 2 to 3 ounce portions
- salt to taste
- 2 large onions, peeled and sliced into rings
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 red chile pepper, seeded and sliced lengthwise
- 3 large bay leaves
- 8 whole black peppercorns
- 4 whole allspice berries
- 2 cups red wine vinegar
- 0.5 cup water
- 0.5 cup packed brown sugar, or to taste
- 2 tablespoons curry powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
Steps
- Gather all ingredients.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season fish with salt and fry in the hot skillet until fish is browned and flakes easily with a fork, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
- Add onions and garlic to the skillet and cook over medium heat until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add chile pepper, bay leaves, peppercorns, and allspice berries, then pour in vinegar and water and bring to a boil. Stir in brown sugar until dissolved. Season with curry powder, cumin, coriander, and turmeric. Taste and add brown sugar if desired.
- Arrange layers of fish and pickling mixture in a serving dish. Pour in pickling liquid to cover the top layer. Let cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours before serving.