African catfish with star anise, cinnamon, and fennel curry, crisp bok choy

Ingredients

• 800 g fresh African catfish fillets, skin-on if possible
• 2 tbsp Madras curry powder
• 2 pieces whole star anise pods
• 1 piece Ceylon cinnamon stick
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 piece fresh red chili pepper
• 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
• 1 bunch fresh scallions
• 500 g fresh bok choy
• 200 g sliced bamboo shoots
• 20 g dried wood ear mushrooms
• 250 ml unsweetened coconut milk
• 200 ml ready-to-use fish stock
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1 piece fresh lime
• 30 g fresh ginger
• 2 cloves fresh garlic
• 3 tbsp sunflower oil
• 30 g unsalted butter
• to taste fine salt
• 0.5 bunches fresh cilantro

Method

1. Rehydrate the dried wood ear mushrooms in a bowl of warm water (around 120 °F / 50 °C) for 15 minutes until supple and satin-smooth to the touch. Drain, rinse to remove any grit, and slice into wide strips.
2. Thoroughly pat the catfish fillets dry with paper towels. Lightly salt both the flesh and skin sides, then refrigerate for 15 minutes; the surface should become firmer and less wet.
3. Thinly slice the scallions, separating the white and green parts. Grate the ginger, crush the garlic, slit the chili lengthwise, halve or quarter the bok choy lengthwise, and drain the bamboo shoots.
4. In a dry skillet preheated over medium heat (around 300 °F / 150 °C), toast the star anise, cinnamon, fennel seeds, and Sichuan peppercorns for 2 minutes until the spices crackle gently and release a woody, aniseed aroma, without burning.
5. Add a portion of the sunflower oil, the scallion whites, garlic, ginger, and chili. Sweat over medium-low heat (around 265 °F / 130 °C) for 3 minutes until the aromatics turn translucent and glossy without browning.
6. Add the Madras curry powder and stir vigorously for 1 minute over low heat (around 230 °F / 110 °C) until you have a dark, fragrant paste that lightly catches on the bottom of the pan.
7. Deglaze with the fish stock, scraping up any browned bits with a spatula. Stir in the coconut milk and dark soy sauce, bring to a simmer (around 195 °F / 90 °C), and let reduce over low heat for 12 minutes until the sauce coats the back of a spoon and has reduced by one third.
8. Taste the sauce, adjust the seasoning with fine salt, and stir in the juice of part of the lime. Keep warm, covered, over very low heat (around 160 °F / 70 °C) while cooking the garnishes.
9. In a large skillet, heat the remaining sunflower oil over medium-high heat until it reaches 340 °F / 170 °C and begins to shimmer. Place the catfish fillets skin-side (or smooth-side) down. Press gently with a spatula for 20 seconds to ensure full contact.
10. Cook the fish for 4 minutes on the first side until the skin is deeply golden and crisp. Flip gently, add the unsalted butter, and baste the flesh with the foaming butter for 3 minutes over medium heat (around 285 °F / 140 °C) until an internal probe thermometer reads 130 °F / 55 °C and the flesh is opaque and flakes easily.
11. Transfer the fish to a warm plate and let rest for 3 minutes so the juices redistribute evenly.
12. In the still-hot skillet over high heat (around 350 °F / 180 °C), sear the bok choy, bamboo shoots, and wood ear mushrooms for 3 minutes, stirring regularly, until the vegetables take on color on the cut sides while staying crisp-tender.
13. Pour two tablespoons of the simmering curry sauce over the vegetables to glaze and coat them, toss for 30 seconds, and immediately remove from the heat.
14. Arrange the bok choy, bamboo shoots, and mushrooms in the center of warmed plates. Set a catfish fillet on top, spoon a ribbon of hot curry sauce over the fish, and garnish with scallion greens, fresh cilantro leaves, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.
15. Pour the remaining hot curry sauce into a sauceboat and serve immediately.

Nutrition

Per serving

Energy

693.2 kcal

Protein

45.53 g

Carbohydrate

26.49 g

Fat

46.62 g

Fibre

11.55 g

Calcium

161.27 mg

Iron

1.55 mg

Magnesium

28.63 mg