Tumeric Kingie Belly Flaps

Kingfish steaks and thick snapper fillets work well in this recipe too. Cooking belly flaps is a good way to utilise a part of the fish some people discard in the filleting process.

If you are using kingfish steaks for this dish I like to cut it into approx 4cm thick pieces. The dish can be cooked on the stove top, oven, barbecue or pizza oven.

Marinade

• 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
• 11/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp salt
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/2 fresh chilli chopped (optional)
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 40g butter for frying

Method:

1. Blitz all the marinade ingredients together and coat fish in the marinade for up to 1 hour and refrigerate.
2. Preheat oven to 250 degrees C. Place frying in the oven to heat up. When the oven reaches temperature, place the butter in the pan. Once butter has melted and starts to colour, add the belly flap face down for 30 seconds then flip over and continue to cook for a further 8-10 minutes. Depending on the thickness of your belly flap, your fish is cooked when it becomes opaque in colour and cooked through. The belly flap will release a lot of moisture while it’s cooking. This keeps the flesh juicy and stops it from drying out.
3. If using fish fillets or steaks,  cook the fish for approx 3-6 mins or until fish is cooked through. Cooking time will vary depending on the size of your fillets. Do not turn your fish fillets, once you have put them in the pan, leave them to cook.
4. Serve with a fresh garden salad and green beans. ENJOY!