Pickled fish is a proudly South African dish which is known to have originated from cape Malay cooking, and has been prepared and enjoyed for many years in households across the nation.

Initially, the main reason for the way in which this dish was prepared was to preserve fresh fish at the early cape colony, but over time, the dish became a popular recipe which was loved by many families and prepared as Cape Town’s traditional Easter meal.

Create this delicious traditional South African pickled fish recipe for your Sunday meal for yourself and the family, and serve it with your most preferred starchy dish.

Ingredients

1 kg firm white fish (kingklip or hake), whole or cut into portions
30ml (2 tablespoons) olive oil
2 brown onions, finely diced
1 garlic clove, minced
thumb-sized piece fresh ginger, grated
2.5ml (1/2 teaspoon) fennel seeds, crushed
5ml (1 teaspoon) whole coriander seeds, crushed
5ml (1 teaspoon) garam masala
10ml (2 teaspoons) ground turmeric
15ml (1 tablespoon) curry powder
5ml (1 teaspoon) salt
45ml (3 tablespoons) sugar
3 bay leaves
375ml (1 1/2 cups) white wine vinegar
300ml water

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and sauté the onions for about 10 minutes until soft and translucent.
Add the garlic and ginger and cook for a further 2 minutes.
Now add all the aromatics (spices) and cook for a further 3 minutes.
Add the salt, sugar, bay leaves, vinegar and water. Simmer for 20 minutes.
Place the fish carefully in the pan and spoon the sauce over the fillet. Cover and Simmer for 20 minutes until cooked through.
Lift the fish carefully from the pan with a fish slice and place in a non-metallic dish.
Transfer the sauce to a processor and blitz until smooth. Pour the sauce over the fish and cover with cling film.
Chill for 2-3 days.