Curried Lox

Ease of Preparation: Easy

Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

Yellow curry powder mix

2 tablespoons (3o ml) coriander seeds

2 tablespoons (30 ml) cumin seeds

1 tablespoon (15 ml) fenugreek seeds

1 tablespoon (15 ml) mustard seeds

2 small cinnamon sticks

10 cardamom pods

6 Kashmiri chilies

1 ½ tablespoons (25 ml) black peppercorns

1 teaspoon (5 ml) whole cloves

¼ cup (60 ml) dried curry leaves

1 teaspoon (5 ml) ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon (5 ml) ground cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons (30 ml) ground turmeric

Fish

¼ cup (60 ml) cilantro, chopped

1 Scotch bonnet pepper, deseeded, sliced

2 tablespoons (30 ml) yellow curry powder mix

¾ cup (180 ml) kosher salt

¾ cup (180 ml) white sugar

1 pound (454 g) halibut, cleaned, skin on

Rye roti

2 ¼ cups (540 ml) rye flour

½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) salt, plus more for seasoning

¾ cup (180 ml) water

1 tablespoon (15 ml) vegetable oil

2 tablespoons (30 ml) ghee

Red curry paste

2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil

1 small onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 red bell peppers, seeded and diced

1 Scotch bonnet pepper, deseeded, chopped

1 beefsteak tomato, chopped

1 1-inch (2.5 cm) piece peeled fresh ginger

1 ½ teaspoons (7.5 ml) yellow curry powder

½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) chili flakes

1 teaspoon (5 ml) cumin

Salt and Pepper

1/3 cup (80 ml) chopped fresh cilantro

Cream cheese, whipped

Fresh dill, chopped

Method:

For the yellow curry powder mix, in a pan over medium heat, toast coriander, cumin, fenugreek, mustard, cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods, Kashmiri chilies, peppercorns, and cloves until fragrant. Remove from heat. Add curry leaves. Run mixture through a spice grinder. Once you have a fine spice blend, stir in nutmeg, cayenne, and turmeric. Set aside.

For the fish, add cilantro and Scotch bonnet pepper to a bowl. Add curry powder, salt, and sugar, and mix together. Rub mixture over fish. Put in the fridge and let marinate 18 hours.

Remove the fish, rinse, and pat dry. Slice thinly. Set aside.

For the rye roti, mix rye flour with salt, water, and oil until you achieve a smooth dough. Wrap with plastic wrap and let rest for 1 hour.

Remove plastic wrap and roll dough out on a lightly-floured surface to ¼-inch (6 mm) thick. Cut using a 2-inch (5 cm) cookie cutter. Add ghee to a skillet and heat over medium-high. Add dough rounds to skillet, a few at a time. Cook until golden brown and a bit crispy underneath, and you see air pockets starting to form on the surface of the side facing up. Flip and cook the other side until golden brown and crispy. Season with salt. Remove from skillet to a paper towel-lined plate.

To make the red curry paste, in a skillet over medium heat, heat vegetable oil. Add onion and sauté for 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add red bell peppers and Scotch bonnet pepper and cook for 4-5 mins. Add tomato, ginger, curry powder, chili flakes, and cumin. Season with salt and pepper. Turn heat down to medium-low and cook for 20-25 mins. Once moisture has evaporated, remove from heat and fold in cilantro. Chill completely in refrigerator before using.

To finish, lay the rotis down side by side on a plate. Top with dollops of whipped cream cheese and red curry paste. Fold thin slices of halibut lox in half and lay gently over the curry and cream cheese. Top with fronds of dill.