serves
4
prep
20 minutes
cook
15 minutes
difficulty
Mid
serves
4
people
preparation
20
minutes
cooking
15
minutes
difficulty
Mid
level
Ingredients
- 4 john dory fillets, approximately 480 g (1 lb 1 oz)
Salt koji
- 200 g (7 oz) dried rice koji
- 80 g (2¾ oz) good quality sea salt
- 400 ml (13½ fl oz) water
Smoky green chilli moromi
- 1 long green chilli
- 2 tbsp moromi miso
You will need to begin this recipe 2 weeks ahead.
Marinating time 6 hours
Instructions
Combine the salt koji ingredients in a bowl and mix until the salt dissolves.
Place in an airtight container and store at room temperature – 18–24°C (64–75°F) – for 2 weeks, stirring at least once a day.
Combine the fish and the salt koji (10% of the weight of the fish). Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 6 hours.
To make the smoky green chilli moromi, roast the chilli over charcoal for 30 seconds (or in a hot frying pan) to bring the aroma out. Remove the seeds and slice thinly. Stir in the moromi and set aside.
Remove the fish from the marinade and wipe with paper towel to remove any excess.
Pierce the fish skin with a skewer to remove any air pockets.
Thread 5 metal skewers through each fillet and bring the skewers all together on one side to make it easy to pick up (and turn).
To start, cook skin-side down over a hot charcoal grill for about 5 minutes until the skin is golden. Turn and cook for another 5 minutes or until the fish is just cooked. Make sure you turn the skewers gently a couple of times to prevent them from sticking to the fish.
Remove from the heat onto a serving plate and gently twist to remove the skewers, taking care not to break the flesh. Serve with the smoky green chilli moromi.
Note
• This makes more salt koji than you need for this recipe but it can be stored for 2–3 weeks in the refrigerator.
Recipe from Food Safari Fire by Maeve O'Meara (Hardie Grant, hbk, $55). Photography by Kaily Koutsogiannis.
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Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
