It’s been a very hot and humid summer here in Sydney and although this same sticky weather is still continuing, the year has kicked into gear with the kids back at school and everyone back at work. That also means not an awful lot of time or energy to spend time slaving over a hot stove nor a willingness to add to the already sweltering ambient temperature inside the home by switching on the oven or slow-cooking a meal.

I came up with this recipe during those few magical weeks of summer holidays in Australia, where time stands still and the lazy metronome of cicadas and mosquitos plays its languid soundtrack to days spent at the beach, the sting of sea salt, sand and sun, cricket on bindied turf, catching up with family and friends over long, leisurely meals, unrushed by appointments and commitments and the comforting reburgeoning of life in suburban backyards and gardens, with neighbours drinking to their temporary reprieve from busy schedules, often way into the night.

With everyone off school and work in the household, I too would avoid doing any unnecessary grocery shopping and decided that coming up with something quick and new for dinner with a glass of cold kombucha (or rose) in hand was much more preferable to rushing off to buy a whole set of fresh ingredients.The wonderful thing with fish too is that it literally takes a few minutes to cook. This recipe also makes the most of beautiful, fresh seasonal mangos as well as all of those healthy spices and herbs like fresh ginger, garlic, chili and turmeric, which I usually always have in the fridge. It’s such a quick and delicious meal which has now become a firm favourite in our family. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Ingredients

• 4 filets of firm white fish (I’ve used both monkfish and barramundi with success. There are no hard and fast rules, use a white fish you love. I try to buy sustainable, wild-caught fish as much as possible, always looking out for specials. ‘The one that got away’ and ‘This fish’ are two such companies that source great fish. There are others but if I ever see ‘freshly farmed’ fish I basically run a mile).
• Fresh ginger, grated (I use a small chunk, about 2 or 3 cms long )
• Fresh garlic, grated (I use about 3 cloves)
• Fresh chilli, grated (I use the medium heat chillis, about 1, sometimes less, depends on your taste)
• Fresh turmeric, grated ( about the same amount as ginger)
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1-2 mangos (sliced lengthways into about 4/5 pieces per mango cheek)
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 heaped tablespoon coconut sugar (great sugar substitute)
•  A few good splashes of coconut amino sauce ( I usually buy the organic ‘niulife’ which is a great pantry staple if you are gluten-free)
• finely chopped spring onions and/or fresh coriander to serve

Method

1. Prepare, peel and grate ginger, garlic and turmeric.
2. Finely chop chilli after cutting into half and scraping out seeds with a teaspoon ( protecting your hands with a pair of gloves).
3. Prepare mango(s) by slicing the two cheeks off either side of the stone. (Do not discard the skins or stone as you can later scrape the rest of the flesh and juices into your pan of fish).
4. Heat pan at medium and pour in the tablespoon of coconut oil.
5. Saute ginger, garlic, turmeric and chilli.
6. Turning heat up further, place fish filets onto pan.
7. Place mango slices onto pan, around the fish filets.
8. Squeeze juice of lime onto fish filets and mango slices.
9. Sprinkle coconut sugar onto fish filets and mango slices.
10. Splash coconut aminos onto the fish filets and mango.
11. Flip fish filets as well as the mango slices, reducing heat back to medium/low.
12. Scrape the rest of flesh and juices from the mango skins and stones into pan.
13. When just about cooked, switch off heat and sprinkle with chopped spring onions and/or coriander. I love the addition of the fresh greens to the dish.
14. Serve with a fresh salad, veggies or rice.