Fish with karkalla tartare

Crispy whitebait meets bush spice brilliance in this dish from Torres Strait Islander TV host and cookbook author Nornie Bero. Serve this crunchy seafood treat with a tartare sauce with a little chopped karkalla folded in for a refreshing lift.

• serves

  6

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  10 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 150 g plain flour
• 1 tbsp fennel seeds, ground
• 2 tbsp aniseed myrtle
• 2 tbsp dried oregano
• 1 tbsp ground saltbush
• 1 tbsp ground pepperberry
• Salt
• Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
• 1 lemon, thinly sliced
• ½ cup saltbush stems
• 500 g white bait

For the karkalla tartare

• 250 g mayonnaise
• 140 g labneh
• ½ cup karkalla, roughly chopped
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 2 tbsp capers, roughly chopped
• 1 bunch tarragon, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• A drizzle olive oil
• 2 tbsp chilli paste (see Note)

Instructions

1. To make the karkalla tartare, combine the ingredients in a medium bowl and mix well to combine. Set aside until needed.
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, ground fennel, aniseed myrtle, oregano, ground saltbush and pepperberry with a generous pinch of salt. Mix well to combine.
3. Heat enough oil to deep-fry in a large saucepan or deep-fryer. Dredge the sliced lemon and saltbush leaves in the flour mixture, then deep-fry until crisp. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
4. Toss the white bait in the remaining seasoned flour, allowing it to sit in the mixture for a few minutes to absorb the flour. Shake lightly to remove any excess flour and deep-fry for 2-3 minutes, or until crisp and cooked through. Remove to a paper-towel lined tray to drain.
5. To serve, spoon the karkalla tartare sauce onto a large serving plate. Top with the fried whitebait, lemon and saltbush and serve.

Note 

• Also known as beach banana or pigface, karkalla is a native succulent usually found on the Australian coastline. It adds a pop of salty crunch. Most marketplaces can source karkalla and it is becoming more available in speciality green grocers.
• This recipe used a chilli paste made with Australian macadamias, but you can substitute any chilli paste you like.

Photography by Jiwon Kim.

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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.