This curried baked hake and crispy calamari recipes are hearty enough to earn a place on the Sunday lunch table. 

Red curry baked hake 

Serves 4  

Total time 20–25 min

Ingredients

Butter 2 tbsp 

Olive oil 1 tbsp 

Red thai curry paste 2 tbsp 

Garlic, sliced 4 cloves 

Tomato paste 1 tbsp 

Sugar 2 tsp 

Lemon, juiced and zested 2 

Coconut cream or coconut milk 1 can 

Hake fillets, skin removed 

Salt and coarsely ground black pepper 

Fresh coriander, chopped ¼ cup 

For serving

Asparagus, blanched 1 punnet 

Baby spinach, wilted handful 

Sesame seeds, toasted 1 tbsp 

Radishes, sliced 3–4 

 Method

1.Preheat the oven to 180°C. 

2. Heat the butter and oil in a large ovenproof skillet. 
3. Sauté the curry paste and garlic for 2 minutes.
4. Stir through the tomato paste and sugar and cook for 3–4 minutes. Add a splash of water if the paste is dry.
5. Stir in the coconut cream or coconut milk and lemon juice.
6. Nestle the fish into the sauce, cover with a lid and bake for 12–15 minutes or until cooked through.
7. Remove the fish from the oven, season well and top with coriander.
8. Serve the hake with wilted greens and garnished with the sesame seeds and fresh radish.

Crispy calamari and watermelon with a mint, lime and chilli salad dressing 

Serves 4  

Total time 15-20 minutes

Ingredients

For the calamari

Calamari rings or tubesand tentacles, defrosted 500g 

Salt and coarsely ground blackpepper 

Fresh coriander 2 tbsp 

Vegetable oil for frying Cornflour ½ cup 

For the dressing

Fresh mint leaves ½ punnet 

Fresh coriander leaves ½ punnet 

Red chilli, seeds removed 2 

Limes, juiced and zested 2 

Olive oil ¼ cup 

To serve

Fresh rocket 2 handfuls 

Watermelon, rind removed and cubed ½ 

Exotic tomato medley, halved 1 punnet 

Spring onion, thinly sliced 2 

Method

1. Pat down the calamari with kitchen paper to remove excess moisture.
2. In a bowl, toss the calamari with the seasoning and coriander.
3. Heat the oil in a large pan.
4. Dip the calamari into the cornflour, shake off any excess and shallow or deep-fry in hot oil for about 3–4 minutes or until cooked through and golden. Drain on kitchen paper.
5. Blitz the mint, coriander, chilli, lime zest, lime juice and olive oil until it reaches the consistency of a dressing. Season well.
6. Arrange the rocket in a serving bowl and top with the watermelon, tomatoes and spring onion. Sca er over the crispy calamari. 
7. Drizzle the salad with the dressing just before serving and toss through to coat.

Also read: Roast salmon with red-wine butter and leeks