Light seafood dinner

Went to fish market on New Year eve to pick up a couple of fresh seafood for dinner, small tasty portions that are easy to cook and to please.

 

Grouper belly with lemon grass and chili

Nearly cook in its own juice, with a mild fragrance of lemon grass and a subtle spiciness.

grouper belly with lemon grass and chili

1. Season grouper with salt for an hour.

2. Cut lemon grass into halves and flatten them slightly, cut chili into pieces. Cook in olive oil at medium heat until fragrance comes out, around 2 minutes.

3. Add grouper skin side down, cook with lid on for a minute or two.

4. Pour half a cup of white wine or rice wine into the pan, cover with lid and steam until just cooked, around a minute.

Baby squid with spring onion and shallot

baby squid with spring onion and shallot

These baby ones can be cooked whole, come out very juicy and tender.

1. Clean and dry baby squids (leave the skin on for flavor).

2. Cut spring onion into an inch pieces and shallot into slices.

3. Sweat shallot and the bottom part of spring onion until soft, add the top green part of spring onion and cook until soft.

4. Turn to high heat, add squids, stir and mix with herbs until they curl up, mix in a tablespoon of soy sauce just before serving.

Blanched okra 

blanched okra in olive oil and soy sauce dressing

For me this is the best way to prepare okra, very lightly cooked, before they turn too slimy.

1. Blanch okra in boiling water for a minute, just enough to take away the raw taste and should still be crunchy.

2. Add a dressing of olive oil and soy sauce.