Loukie Cooks: Go Fish

Loukie has created more than a dozen cookbooks and won many awards for her food writing. But growing up in the Netherlands ‘as a child who was totally uninterested in food’, her future career had an unlikely start.

The turning point, she recalls, was the discovery of the flavours of the Mediterranean.

“The revelation came on a holiday with my parents when I was in my early teens. Sitting on a sunny terrace above Lugano, I had my first taste of prosciutto with melon, followed by a huge bowl of garlicky mussels, served with good, crusty bread. It was bliss, and I instantly recognised that my life had changed forever.”

In 1997 she won Best Reference Book in the 1997 International Cookbook Revue Awards for ‘Ingredients’ and the Bronze Award at the World Food Media Awards (Best Food Book). In 2008 she was the winner of an Australian Food Media best cookbook award for ‘Real Food’ (in association with the National Heart Foundation).

Her books have sold widely in Australia and around the world – over one million copies of ‘Ingredients’ alone – and include ‘Italian Country Cooking: The Secrets of Cucina Povera’ and ‘Loukie’s Kitchen’, a compendium of recipes from her cooking classes of 14 years.

Loukie has written regularly for national magazines and has appeared frequently on TV and radio. Her practical approach to cooking – unfussy recipes and simple food – has been an inspiration to countless home cooks.

Here we have extracted two recipes from her most recent book, ‘The Valley’, a title inspired by the location of her beautiful Italianate home in coastal NSW. She has been a regular visitor to Vanuatu and loves the freshness of the local organic produce in Port Vila’s market.

Acqua Pazza (serves four)

Literally ‘fish in crazy water’, acqua pazza is a classic, and a versatile and easy dish to prepare, any season of the year. It’s one of my favourite weekend lunches in winter, or Sunday dinners in summer.

You can vary the ingredients endlessly, substituting any other white fish fillets, adding pippies, clams, or even prawns or scallops, if you’re feeling flush. The one constant is the water, which is boiled with just the oil to achieve a slight emulsion. After that, you can add almost anything you like.

INGREDIENTS

• 800ml water

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 375g black mussels

• 375g clams (vongole) or sand pippies

• 600g fillet of white fish, such as ling, snapper or blue eye, cut into 4 even pieces

• 1 large ripe tomato, peeled and coarsely chopped

• 1/2 cup (125ml) dry white wine

• 2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, chopped

• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

• 1/4 teaspoon chilli flakes

• toasted rustic bread, to serve

METHOD

Combine the water and oil in a pot, bring to a boil and continue boiling for 1 minute. Add the mussels, vongole, fish, tomato, wine, parsley, garlic and chilli flakes and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover the pan and simmer over low heat for 12-15 minutes.

Place the toast into deep, heated plates first. Remove the fish fillet from the pot and add to the plate. If all the mussels and clams are not open yet, cook these a little longer over high heat. Discard any that have not opened after extra time. Spoon the shellfish and the liquid over the fish and toast and serve immediately. Alternatively, you can serve the toast separately on the side.

Crisp fish fillets with fennel tzatziki (serves four)

If you want a really crisp result, Japanese panko breadcrumbs are a godsend, and they’re available in the supermarket. Fennel tzatziki is a fabulous accompaniment. Together the fish and tzatziki make a perfect lunch in the sun, or a late night supper under the stars.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 white fish fillets, such as flathead or monkfish

• 1 teaspoon fennel seed, pulverised in a mortar (optional)

• 1 large egg white, beaten

• 2 cups (110g) panko breadcrumbs or fresh breadcrumbs

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Fennel Tzatziki

• 1 cup finely diced fennel (1 small), plus 1 tablespoon chopped fennel fronds heaped 3/4 cup (200g ) greek yoghurt

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

• 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

 • 1 cup finely diced fennel (1 small), plus 1 tablespoon chopped fennel fronds heaped

• 3/4 cup greek yoghurt

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

• 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

METHOD

To make tzatziki, combine fennel and chopped fronds in a bowl and season lightly with salt. Stand 10 minutes. Add yoghurt, mint, vinegar and oil and mix well. Season with salt and pepper, and transfer to a bowl.

Season both sides of fish with fennel seed if using, and lightly with salt and pepper. Brush both sides with egg white and dredge in panko on bothsides.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large non-stick frying pan over moderately high heat. Add fish and cook until golden and crisp on both sides, about 2-5 minutes per side, depending on size. Serve immediately, with tzatziki.