Cassava flatbreads with onion stew and pan-fried sea bass

Serves 4-6 Starters and mains

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Method

Melt the coconut oil in a large, heavy-based pan that has a lid. Add the onions, cover with the lid and cook over a gentle heat, stirring from time to time, for up to 1 hour until the onions are nicely softened, turning golden brown and caramelised.

Meanwhile, for the flatbreads, put the grated cassava in a clean tea towel. Twist the towel and wring out over the sink to squeeze out as much liquid as you can. If the cassava isn’t completely dry, try drying it out on a clean tea towel. Transfer to a food processor and blend until smooth, then season with salt.

Transfer the cassava to a bowl and rub the mixture with your fingertips, removing and discarding any remaining lumps. Pass through a sieve into a bowl, discarding what’s left in the sieve, until you have a fine granular consistency.

Heat a non-stick frying pan and, when hot, drop the mixture in 2tbsp heaps into the pan – using a food ring makes it easier and gives them a nice shape. Remove the ring, if using, and flatten the bread with a spatula.

Cook over a medium heat for 1–2 minutes, then carefully flip over and cook for 1–2 minutes on the other side or until cooked through but not coloured – they should remain as white as possible.

Continue until all the cassava mixture is used up, to make 15–20 flatbreads, wiping the pan clean between batches and keeping the cooked flatbreads warm under a clean tea towel (freeze and leftover flatbreads).

In a pestle and mortar, grind the garlic and ginger together into a paste. When the onions are ready, increase the heat to medium and add the chilli sauce, garlic and ginger and all the other spices and salt to the pan. Cook for 1 minute, stirring continuously. Add the tomato purée and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 2–3 minutes, then take off the heat and stir in the cooked brown shrimps, if using. Set aside and keep warm.

For the sea bass, heat a heavy-based frying pan over a high heat and when hot add 2tbsp of the oil. Season the fish and lay 2 fillets in the pan, skin-side down. Gently press each fillet down with a spatula to prevent it curling at the edges.

Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 3–4 minutes undisturbed, until you can see the flesh has cooked two-thirds of the way up and the skin is crispy. Carefully flip the fillets and fry for around 2 minutes until just done. Leave to rest, skin-side up. Repeat with the remaining fillets. Top the flatbreads with the onion stew and fish to serve.