Xitt kodi — literally “rice and curry” — is Goa’s daily bread: a brick-red, coconut-rich fish curry sharpened with tamarind, made for spooning over steamed rice. It suits almost any firm fish on our counter: king fish, pomfret or mackerel all shine in it.

Ingredients

• 500g fish steaks (king fish, pomfret or mackerel)
• 8–10 dried Kashmiri chillies
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• ½ tsp turmeric
• 4 cloves garlic
• 100g fresh or desiccated coconut
• Small ball of tamarind, soaked
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 green chilli, slit
• Salt, to taste

Method

1. Grind the masala. Blend chillies, coriander, cumin, turmeric, garlic, coconut and tamarind with a splash of water to a fine, brick-red paste.
2. Start the curry. Soften the onion in oil, add the masala and fry 5–6 minutes until it smells sweet and roasted.
3. Simmer. Loosen with water to a pourable gravy, season, and simmer 10 minutes.
4. Cook the fish. Add the fish steaks and green chilli; simmer gently 8–10 minutes.
5. Rest and serve. Rest 10 minutes off the heat — Goan curry tastes better settled — then serve with rice.

Fishmonger’s tip: tamarind and coconut love oily fish — this is a brilliant way to cook our fresh sardines too.

On the opposite end of the spectrum from fiery red curries, sothi is Sri Lanka’s great comfort dish — a very mild, soothing, coconut-milk-based curry spiced lightly with turmeric and fenugreek and lifted with lime juice at the end. It is the dish to make when you want the fish itself to shine. Firm white fish holds best: king fish, silver pomfret or barramundi from our counter.

Ingredients

• 500g firm fish steaks or fillets
• 1 onion, finely sliced
• 2 green chillies, slit
• ½ tsp turmeric
• ½ tsp fenugreek seeds
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced
• 400ml coconut milk (thin and thick separated if possible)
• Juice of ½–1 lime
• Salt, to taste

Method

1. Build the broth. Put onion, chillies, garlic, curry leaves, fenugreek, turmeric and the thin coconut milk in a pan. Simmer gently for 10 minutes.
2. Poach the fish. Slide in the fish and cook at a bare simmer for 6–8 minutes — never a rolling boil.
3. Enrich. Add the thick coconut milk and warm through without boiling.
4. Finish with lime. Off the heat, stir in lime juice and salt to taste.
5. Serve with string hoppers, plain rice or crusty bread.

Fishmonger’s tip: steaks cut on the bone stay juicier in a sothi — ask us for curry-cut steaks.

Inspired by the modern Kerala restaurant classic, Fish Nirvana takes a whole fish, coats it in a deep red chilli-and-spice masala, and bakes it until just cooked through — succulent inside, caramelised at the edges — before it is finished with a silky coconut and onion gravy. From our counter, pearl spot (karimeen) or sea bass are perfect for it.

Ingredients

• 1 whole fish (700g–1kg), cleaned and scored — pearl spot or sea bass
• 2 tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• Juice of 1 lime
• Salt, to season
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 2 onions, finely sliced
• 2 green chillies, slit
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 200ml thick coconut milk

Method

1. Marinate. Mix chilli powder, turmeric, ginger-garlic paste, lime and salt into a paste. Rub all over and inside the scored fish. Rest 20 minutes.
2. Bake. Wrap loosely in foil or banana leaf and bake at 200°C for 20–25 minutes until just cooked.
3. Make the gravy. In coconut oil, fry onions, green chilli and curry leaves until deeply golden. Add coconut milk and simmer gently to a rich sauce.
4. Finish. Unwrap the fish, pour the gravy over and return to the oven, uncovered, for 5 minutes.
5. Serve with Kerala matta rice or flaky parottas.

Fishmonger’s tip: ask for your fish cleaned, scaled and deeply scored — the masala needs to reach the bone.

Fresh mackerel is one of the best-value fish on our counter — rich, quick to cook and packed with omega-3. Its oily flesh loves a sharp partner, and this creamy mustard sauce is exactly that. Crisp skin, soft flesh, punchy sauce: dinner in under half an hour.

Ingredients

• 2 whole mackerel, gutted and cleaned (or 4 fillets)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and black pepper
• 1 lemon
• 2 tbsp wholegrain mustard
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 150ml crème fraîche
• Small bunch of dill or parsley, chopped

Method

1. Prepare the fish. Slash whole mackerel two or three times on each side, rub with oil, season generously.
2. Grill hot. Under a hot grill (or on a barbecue), cook 4–5 minutes per side until the skin blisters and the flesh flakes.
3. Make the sauce. Warm the crème fraîche gently, stir in both mustards, a squeeze of lemon and the herbs — do not boil.
4. Serve with the sauce spooned over, lemon wedges, and new potatoes or a sharp green salad.

Fishmonger’s tip: mackerel is at its best eaten the day it is bought — order in the morning, cook that evening.

Nothing beats fish and chips done properly at home: shatteringly crisp batter around thick flakes of white fish, with fluffy-middled chips. Chip shops traditionally use cod or haddock — from our own counter, sea bass or barramundi fillets fry up every bit as well.

Ingredients

• 4 white fish fillets (about 180g each), skin off
• 200g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 300ml very cold sparkling water or beer
• 1kg floury potatoes (Maris Piper), cut into thick chips
• Oil for deep frying
• Salt, malt vinegar, lemon wedges
• Mushy peas or tartare sauce, to serve

Method

1. Chip the potatoes. Rinse the chips, dry well, then blanch in oil at 140°C for 8 minutes until soft but pale. Drain.
2. Make the batter. Whisk flour, baking powder and ice-cold sparkling water until just combined — lumps are fine, cold is everything.
3. Fry the fish. Heat the oil to 180°C. Dust the fillets in flour, coat in batter and fry 6–8 minutes until deep gold and crisp.
4. Crisp the chips. Return the chips to the 180°C oil for 2–3 minutes until golden.
5. Serve immediately with salt, vinegar, lemon and mushy peas.

Fishmonger’s tip: thick, evenly-cut fillets fry best — tell us it’s for frying and we’ll cut them to size.

Kedgeree is the great British-Indian crossover: buttery, curry-spiced rice folded with flaked fish, soft-boiled eggs and plenty of coriander. Traditionally made with smoked haddock, it is just as satisfying with fresh fish from our counter — poached mackerel or flaked king fish (vanjaram) both work beautifully.

Ingredients

• 400g fish fillets (smoked haddock, or fresh mackerel / king fish)
• 300g basmati rice, rinsed
• 3 eggs
• 1 large onion, finely sliced
• 50g butter
• 1 tbsp mild curry powder
• ½ tsp turmeric
• 600ml fish poaching liquid or stock
• Handful of fresh coriander, chopped
• Lemon wedges, to serve

Method

1. Poach the fish. Cover the fillets with simmering water and cook gently for 6–8 minutes until they flake easily. Keep the liquid.
2. Boil the eggs. 6½ minutes for jammy yolks, then peel and quarter.
3. Build the base. Soften the onion in butter, then stir in the curry powder and turmeric for one fragrant minute.
4. Cook the rice. Stir the rice through the spiced butter, add the poaching liquid, cover and simmer 10–12 minutes until tender.
5. Bring it together. Fold in the flaked fish, scatter with eggs and coriander, and finish with lemon.

Fishmonger’s tip: ask us to fillet and pin-bone your fish when you order — kedgeree is best with big, boneless flakes.

Ingredients

• 2 whole sea bass, cleaned
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 50g unsalted butter, softened
• 1 lemon (zest + slices)
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Fresh parsley, chopped
• Optional: cherry tomatoes
• Optional: asparagus or green beans

Method

1. Prepare the sea bass. Pat the sea bass dry with kitchen paper. Make 2–3 shallow cuts on each side. Season the inside and outside with salt and pepper.
2. Make the garlic butter. In a small bowl, mix the softened butter, minced garlic, lemon zest, chopped parsley and a pinch of salt.
3. Stuff and season. Spread a little garlic butter inside each sea bass. Stuff with lemon slices. Rub the remaining garlic butter over the fish.
4. Grill the fish. Heat olive oil in a grill pan or on the BBQ. Cook the sea bass for 5–6 minutes on each side, until the skin is crispy and the flesh is cooked through.
5. Add extra flavour. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the fish while cooking for extra zest and flavour.
6. Serve and enjoy. Serve hot with lemon wedges, a side of salad or roasted vegetables.

Chef’s tip: for extra flavour, add a few cherry tomatoes and asparagus to the grill in the last few minutes.