This recipe originally from: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/archives/2016/11/26/2003660008
Fish fillets, roast potatoes with maqaw mayonnaise
Recipe
(Serves 2)
Homemade mayo has been mystified out of all proportion and now with electric whisks and food processors, the slog and risk of putting together something really rather good (better than anything store bought anyway, if not up to Michelin chef standards) have all but disappeared. Some chefs recommend using olive oil, and this certainly has great appeal, but the mayo can end up tasting rather harsh, and the simpler and cheaper sunflower or rapeseed oil makes a more dependable product. Add a dash of your preferred extra-virgin at the end to enhance the flavor if you like. The roast potatoes in this recipe are a family favorite, and though simple, are very tasty. The secret is getting the outside nicely brown in the oven, the mix of starch and oil caramelizing and giving the potatoes a much more complex flavor than you might expect from such simple ingredients.
Ingredients
2 fillets mahimahi (or other firm white fish), approx. 250g
potatoes
1 tbsp flour
2 tbsp breadcrumbs
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 heaped tsp mustard (Dijon or other mild mustard)
7g maqaw
small bunch sweet basil leaves
200ml sunflower oil
a glug of olive oil
splash of rice vinegar (optional)
salt and pepper for seasoning
Directions
1. Separate the eggs, setting the whites aside.
2. Add the mustard to the egg yokes and beat them together. Using an electric whisk, whisk this mixture, adding oil in a thin stream, very slowly at first. As the mixture begins to thicken, you can add the oil more rapidly.
3. Crush the grains of maqaw with the flat of a kitchen knife or in a mortar. Mix into the mayonnaise and season with salt. Add a slash of vinegar, if using. (Most recipes suggest the addition of vinegar or lemon juice to balance the mayo with a bit of acid, but I often find the acid in the mustard already sufficient for this purpose.)
4. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to allow the flavor of the maqaw to suffuse the mayonnaise.
5. About 30 minutes before you want to eat, season the fish fillets with salt and pepper.
6. Peel and cut the potatoes and steam over high heat for 20 minutes.
7. Place potatoes on a non-stick baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Make sure the potatoes are well coated with oil. (The potatoes at this point can be set aside for as much as a couple of hours.)
8. Pre-heat an oven to 230c. Before putting the potatoes in the oven, give them a good toss, renewing the coating of oil and salt. Place on an upper shelf for 10 minutes. Turn over and cook for another 10 minutes until golden brown.
9. When ready to eat, first dust the fish fillets with flour, then dredge them in egg white, then in the bread crumbs.
10. Heat a pan with a generous glug of oil. Fry over medium heat for about 4 minutes. While the fish is cooking, throw in the basil leaves and fry until crisp, about 1-2 minutes. Remove and drain on kitchen paper.
11. Serve the fish topped with crisp basil and a generous dollop of maqaw mayonnaise. Serve with a side of roast potatoes. The addition of a simple salad makes this a complete meal.
Ian Bartholomew runs Ian’s Table, a small guesthouse in Hualien. He has lived in Taiwan for many years writing about the food scene and has decided that until you look at farming, you know nothing about the food you eat. He can be contacted at Hualien202@gmail.com.
This is one of two recipes that feature: maqaw pepper
This recipe also includes: black pepper
