This creamy samp with a touch of lemon is my South African corn version of a lemony risotto, and the perfect partner to these wild caught pan fried Cape bream fillets, spiced with masala. Round if off with a fresh herb and cucumber salsa and serve with a chilled glass of Radford Dale Vinum Chardonnay – a generous, balanced wine with refreshing citrus notes made from coastal Stellenbosch grapes.
The Cape bream fillets were sourced via Fish With A Story by ABALOBI – fully traceable seafood harvested by small-scale fishers using low-impact fishing methods.
Ingredients: (serves 4)
For the samp:
Note: Samp is best when pre-soaked overnight, so plan accordingly.
- 2 cups samp
- about 2 liters water
- 2 stock cubes (vegetable or chicken)
- 30-45 ml (2-3 Tbsp) butter, plus extra
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 250 ml (1 cup) fresh cream
- finely grated rind of a lemon
- salt & pepper, to taste
For the masala fish:
Note: You can also use a store-bough seafood masala blend.
10 ml (2 tsp) ground fennel/barishap
- 5 ml (1 tsp) ground coriander
- 5 ml (1 tsp) ground cumin
- 5 ml (1 tsp) ground paprika
- 2,5 ml (½ tsp) ground turmeric
- 2,5 ml (½ tsp) ground ginger
- 2,5 ml (½ tsp) ground cinnamon
- 2,5 ml (½ tsp) chilli powder (optional)
- 1 ml (¼ tsp) ground cardamom/elachie
- 10 ml (2 tsp) salt
- about 500 g fresh boneless fish fillets (Cape bream or carpenter works well)
- 30 ml (2 Tbsp) butter
For the herb salsa:
- a handful fresh mixed herbs (parsley/mint/dill/coriander all work well)
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- a squeeze of lemon juice
- ½ cucumber, finely cubed
- ½ red onion, finely chopped
- salt & pepper, to taste
Method:
Prepare the samp: Soak the samp in 4 cups (1 liter) fresh cold water overnight. Drain the water, then place the soaked samp in a pot and cover with more fresh water (about 1 liter). Crumble the stock cubes into the pot and bring to a simmer, then turn down the heat to low, place a lid on and cook for about 1 hour. Check regularly if the water needs a top-up – you want to keep the water level just below the surface of the samp. While the samp is cooking, heat the butter in a pan and fry the onion over medium low heat until very soft but not brown. After the samp has cooked for 1 hour, add the fried onions and stir. Continue cooking for another 45 minutes until the samp is very soft and the water has almost reduced away completely. Add the cream and stir, bring to a simmer, then remove from the heat. Add the lemon rind and season generously with salt & pepper, stir, then cover with a lid and leave to stand while you prepare the salsa and fish.
Prepare the salsa: Blitz the herbs, oil and lemon juice briefly in a blender (or chop the herbs as finely as you can and stir with the oil and juice). Add it to a small bowl along with the cucumber and red onion, season with salt & pepper, then stir.
Prepare the fish: Make a masala seasoning blend by stirring together the dry spices and salt in a small mixing bowl. Rub the seasoning on both sides of the fish fillets. Pan-fry in butter, skin side down first, until the skin is crispy, then turn over and fry briefly on the flesh side. Remove from the heat.
To serve: Plate the samp with the fried fish on top and a spoonful of salsa. Serve with fresh lemon wedges.
(This recipe was created in collaboration with Radford Dale Wines.)
