Calcutta ‘scorched & spicy’ seabass

Hispi cabbage, whipped curd

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 fillets of seabass or red mullet, each 20mm thick, approx. 200g each, cleaned and skin scored, three even cuts

Spices: 5g fresh root turmeric, 30g fresh root ginger, both peeled, 2 green finger chillies, 2tblsp poppy seeds, 1 tblsp black mustard seeds

1 tsp sea salt

2 tblsp mustard oil or rapeseed is fine

Juice of 1½ lemons and zest of ½

1 Hispi cabbage, sliced into 4 wedges through the poles, root trimmed

2 tsp cumin seeds whole

200g cottage cheese, full fat

1 fat finger chilli, deseeded, finely diced

Method:

Turn your grill to medium hot.

Blitz the spices in a food processor with the salt, oil, juice of 1 lemon and 3 tblsp water. Coat the fillets in the spicy marinade, line a grill pan with foil, give it a rub of oil, place the fillets on skin side up, pop onto a medium rack of the grill and cook for 5 to 7 minutes until the fish is just done. Set aside.

Steam the cabbage wedges, having popped the cumin seeds in the simmering water, until just cooked. Set aside, keep warm.

In a small bowl using a hand blender or in a small food processor, blitz the cottage cheese with the remaining lemon juice and zest of ½ of lemon to a smooth, whipped consistency, about 5mins of blitzing. Set aside.

To Serve:

Place a cabbage wedge, a fillet of sea bass on a warmed plate, then a dollop of whipped curd to the side.