Miso & Maple Glazed Coley Recipe

Sweat aromatics

Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add butter and a splash of oil if needed. Add the chopped shallot and cook gently for 3–4 minutes until translucent. Add crushed garlic and grated ginger and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.

Simmer sweet potato

Add the diced sweet potato, ground turmeric and ground coriander to the pan and stir to coat. Pour in the vegetable stock and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 12–15 minutes until the sweet potato is very tender.

Blend and finish

Add the coconut milk and use an immersion blender to purée until silky smooth (or transfer to a blender in batches). Return to low heat, stir in lime juice, salt and pepper. Adjust seasoning to taste. Keep warm on the lowest heat while you prepare the rest of the dish.

Caramelize onion

Heat olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the finely chopped red onion and cook gently for 6–8 minutes until softened and starting to golden. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.

Toast and combine

In a dry frying pan over medium heat, toast the raw almonds for 4–5 minutes until fragrant and lightly browned, shaking the pan to prevent burning. Add the toasted sesame seeds for the last 1 minute to warm through. Allow to cool slightly.

Process crumb

In a small food processor combine the toasted almonds, sesame seeds, caramelized onion, ground coriander, ground cumin, sea salt and black pepper. Pulse to a coarse crumb — you want small bits, not a fine powder. Taste and adjust salt. Set aside in a small bowl.

Par-cook potatoes

Place the halved baby potatoes in a pot of salted water and bring to a boil. Cook for 8–10 minutes until just tender when pierced with a knife. Drain and let steam-dry for 2 minutes.

Fry potatoes and veg

Heat the vegetable oil in a wide frying pan (or deep skillet) over medium-high heat until shimmering (about 180°C / 350°F if using a thermometer). Add the par-cooked potatoes cut-side down and fry until golden and crisp, about 6–8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon transfer potatoes to a tray lined with paper towel to drain and season with salt and pepper.

Flash fry remaining veg

In the same oil (adjust heat to maintain 170–180°C), quickly flash-fry the baby carrots for 2–3 minutes until bright and just tender. Remove and drain. Flash-fry the sugar snap peas and courgette batons for 30–60 seconds each until they blister slightly but remain crisp. Drain all vegetables and season lightly with salt and pepper. Keep warm in a low oven (100–120°C).

Make the glaze

In a small bowl whisk together miso paste, maple syrup, light soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and lemon juice until smooth and glossy.

Sear and glaze fillets

Pat the coley fillets dry with paper towel and season very lightly with salt (miso is salty). Heat 1 tablespoon neutral oil in a non-stick or stainless pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the fillets presentation-side down (the side you want to serve up) and sear for 2 minutes without moving to get a little color. Turn the fillets and brush the seared side generously with the miso-maple glaze. Cook for another 1.5–3 minutes depending on thickness — cook until the fish is opaque through but still moist. Spoon any extra glaze from the bowl over the fillets in the last 30 seconds to create a sticky finish. Remove to a tray and rest for 1–2 minutes.

Finish with dukkah

Before serving, sprinkle the onion dukkah crumb over the glazed side of each fillet (press lightly so it adheres).

Spoon a shallow pool of the spiced sweet potato & coconut velouté onto each warmed plate. Arrange two glazed coley fillets per plate (or one larger fillet) on top of the velouté. Neatly pile a portion of flash-fried potatoes and vegetables beside the fish.

Drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil over the vegetables, tuck microgreens or coriander leaves around the fish, and place a lemon wedge at the side. Serve immediately so the glaze remains glossy and the veg stay crisp.