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Sea bass and turmeric potatoes in rasam broth
Serves 6 Starters and mains
Ingredients
- 620g waxy potatoes, such as Desirée, peeled and cut into 21⁄2cm cubes
- 15g ghee
- 8 stems fresh curry leaves (20g)
- 1 1⁄2tbsp yellow mustard seeds
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 4 garlic cloves, finely diced
- 1tsp ground turmeric
- 2 medium tomatoes (170g), deseeded and roughly chopped
- 10g unsalted butter
- coarse sea salt
For the rasam broth
- 100g tamarind pulp
- 1tbsp sunflower oil
- 2 medium onions, thinly sliced
- 8 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 1⁄2tbsp garam masala
- 12 stems curry leaves (25g)
- 2 large dried red chillies
- 3 large tomatoes (300g), each cut into 6 wedges, 2cm wide
For the sea bass
- 30g ghee
- 6 sea bass fillets (840g total weight), skin lightly scored
- 1tbsp lemon juice
- 10g coriander leaves (optional)
Method
Place the potatoes in a medium saucepan and cover with salted water. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes, until just cooked. Drain and set aside.
Wipe the pan dry and return it to a medium heat. Add the ghee. When melted, add the curry leaves and mustard seeds and fry for 2 minutes, until fragrant.
Add the onion and garlic and fry for further 3 or 4 minutes, until starting to soften.
Add the turmeric, tomatoes and cooked potatoes, stir to coat the potatoes with the spices, then cook for a minute or so before adding the butter, 1tsp salt and a good grinding of black pepper. Cook for 1 minute, then set aside and warm up when you need it.
To make the rasam, pour 900ml boiling water over the tamarind and set aside for 30 minutes, for the pulp to soften and disintegrate in the water. Use your hands to break up and dissolve the pulp, then strain through a fine mesh sieve and discard the seeds. Put the sunflower oil into a large pan and place on a medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and fry for 4-5 minutes, stirring from time to time, until starting to soften. Add the garam masala, curry leaves and chillies and fry for another minute. Add the tomatoes.
Pour over the tamarind water, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer very gently for 15 minutes; take care that it does not come to the boil, as this will cause the tamarind pulp to split. Add 2tsp salt, stir through and set aside. You can leave this to infuse for a few hours and then, when ready to serve, there are two options. For a more formal look, strain the rasam for a clear broth; for a more rustic and informal look, you can skip the straining and keep the onion, garlic, curry leaves and chillies in the pan. Either way, you’ll need to warm it through before serving.
To cook the fish, place a large frying pan on a medium heat and add the ghee. Use 11⁄2tsp salt to sprinkle over the skin side of all the fish, with a grinding of pepper.
When the ghee has melted, add the fish to the pan, skin-side down: you might need to do this in two batches so as not to overcrowd the pan. Fry for 3-4 minutes, until crisp and golden- brown. Use another 11⁄2tsp salt to sprinkle on the flesh side of the fish, along with more pepper, then flip the fish over and cook for a final minute. Remove from the heat and drizzle with the lemon juice.
To serve, spoon the warm potatoes into a bowl. Place a sea bass fillet on top or alongside, skin-side up, and ladle over the rasam. Finish with a sprinkle of coriander, if using, and serve.
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