Mark Olive’s Kingfish in Cream Sauce

Inroduction

About this Recipe

Easter and seafood go hand in hand. So too do Bundjalung chef Mark Olive aka “The Black Olive” and living sustainably.
Olive has just been nominated 2023 ambassador for the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC), a body which promotes responsibly farmed seafood. He is committed to educating people about the importance of indigenous culture and history in Australian cuisine.
“Living sustainably is at the very heart of traditional Aboriginal practices, and for thousands of years Indigenous communities across Australia have relied on our oceans, rivers and streams for survival,” he says.
“Now, it’s up to each of us, through the choices we make when shopping for seafood, to ensure these incredible living ecosystems survive and thrive for generations to come.”
This Easter the ASC  has released a downloadable cookbook, featuring recipes which showcase reponsibly farmed seafood produced by ASC-certififed farms throughout Australia. Take a look: you’ll find plenty of delicious ideas there for a seafood-inspired Easter such as Guy Turland’s Salt & Pepper Abalone, Larissa Dominello’s Air Fried Katafi Black Tiger Prawns, and Manu’s Kingfish Ceviche with Sweet Potatoes and Leche de Tigre.

Ingredients

Serves 1 

  • long grain white rice, 1 cup
  • ground turmeric, 1/2 teaspoon
  • saffron, 10 strands
  • kingfish fillet, 250g
  • butter, 50g
  • plain flour, 1/2 cup
  • green grapes, 6
     Sauce:
  • butter, 10g
  • thickened cream, 1/2 cup
  • ground lemon myrtle
  • dry white wine, 1/2 cup
  • lemon wedge

Place 3 cups of water in saucepan, bring to the boil, add the rice, turmeric ad saffron.  Cover and simmer until the rice has absorbed all the water.  Remove from heat, press the rice into a mould (optional) and set aside. 
Preheat oven to 180C.
Dust the kingfish fillet with flour.  Melt the butter in a shallow pan. When it begins to bubble, add the fish, presentation side first.  Cook until golden brown, then turn and cook a further minute.  Transfer to an oven tray and place in oven for 5 – 10 minutes while you prepare the white wine sauce.
For the sauce: heat butter in a saucepan, add the thickened cream and simmer until it starts to reduce.  Add the white wine and reduce by half.  
Just before serving, add a pinch of salt and pepper, lemon myrtle and the juice of the lemon wedge.
To serve: turn out rice onto a heated plate.  Place the kingfish fillet on the plate, spoon over the sauce and garnish with the grapes.