Mustard-and-apricot snoek

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“The first thing I ever learnt to smoke was a snoek. It’s almost ritualistic – the coals have to be at the correct temperature, the snoek must be slightly air-dried, and you have to maintain the level of heat and smoke until the fish takes on the smoky flavour and amber hue. Today it’s a little easier as you can buy snoek that’s already smoked, which means you have more time to get creative with complementary flavours. This is my go-to smoked snoek on the braai recipe.”

Ingredients

For the potato-and-fennel salad:
700 g Woolworths Mediterranean potatoes, cut into chunky rounds
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup Woolworths salad cream
1 lemon, zested and juiced
10 g fresh chives, finely chopped
½ bulb fennel, thinly sliced
For the mustard-and-apricot-jam glaze:
450 g Woolworths smooth apricot jam
4 cloves garlic, finely grated
4 cm piece ginger, finely grated
¼ cup red wine vinegar
1 t smoked chilli flakes
1 T wholegrain mustard
800 g snoek

Cooking Instructions

1. To make the potato salad, place the potatoes in a saucepan of salted cold water. Place over a medium heat and bring to a boil, cooking until the potatoes are fork-tender.

2. While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the dressing. Mix the salad cream, lemon zest and juice, salt, pepper and chives.

3. Once the potatoes are cooked, drain and allow them to steam for 5 minutes, removing any excess water. Add to the dressing and stir through. Cover with a lid and chill before stirring through the fennel, then return to the fridge until it’s time to serve.

4. To make the glaze, combine the apricot jam, garlic, ginger, red wine vinegar and chilli flakes in a small saucepan. Simmer gently over a low heat, stirring until combined, then remove from the heat. Stir through the mustard.

5. Place the snoek flesh-side down on a braai grid over medium coals. Turn after 5 minutes and coat with the glaze. Cook for a further 2 minutes before turning again, reducing the glaze on the snoek until it becomes sweet and sticky. After 5 minutes, turn over and coat again with the glaze, before turning it flesh side down for the final time.

6. Remove from the braai and place on a serving platter. Pour over some of the remaining glaze, serving any extra on the side with the potato-and-fennel salad.

Photograph: Jan Ras
Production: Emma Nkunzana
Recipes: Clement Pedro

Find more braai recipes here.