This dish was inspired by our grandmother Donna Sofia’s treasured recipe, and it holds a special place in our family's hearts.
Back in the 60’s and 70’s, as new immigrants, birthdays were always celebrated at home. In 1972, when it was Claude's 18th birthday, Lorraine was tasked with making a special dish for her brother's special meal. Searching through her parents’ handwritten recipe books, she found her dad’s English translation of Grandma's Portuguese Fish.
But, when the recipe demanded she scale, gut, and de-fin a whole fresh mackerel, her squeamish 15-year-old self-took a shortcut and swapped the fresh mackerel for tinned fish. The rest, as they say, is delicious history!
Lorraine’s Portuguese Fish Dish
Ingredients
4 x 400g tins of Mackerel in oil, (or Salmon or Tuna)
2 tbsp Olive oil
1 small onion- chopped fine
1-inch fresh Ginger -grated
2 cloves Garlic, crushed
1 Tomato - chopped fine
1 Green Chilli - chopped fine
2 small Potatoes, diced fine and boiled
1 Carrot, diced fine and boiled
handful of peas - boiled
4 hard-boiled eggs – seperate the yolk from the white and keep seperately.
1 bunch spring onions – chopped fine
Salt and Pepper to taste
½ tsp sugar
1 tbsp lime juice (optional)
4-6 tbsp Helman’s Mayonnaise
To cover the fish:
6-7 tbsp Helmans Mayonnaise
1 tbsp tomato sauce
½ cup single cream
Salt & Pepper to taste
Garnish ideas: red radish, cucumber or green pepper sliced very fine for the scales of the fish, small sprigs of parsley for the fins and tail, 1 black olive for the eye and slices of lemon to fill up the border.
Cooking Steps
Step 1
Drain the tinned fish and keep aside.
Chop the onion, ginger, garlic, tomato and chilli very finely and fry in a little olive oil or use the oil from the canned fish.
Step 2
Flake the tinned fish and stir in the fried onion mixture, salt, pepper, sugar and lime juice.
Fold in the mayonnaise, diced potatoes, carrots, peas, chopped egg white, and spring onion ensuring all the fish and vegetables are coated in the mayonnaise.
Taste, adding more seasoning or mayonnaise if required.
Press the fish mixture in a fish mould or form a fish shape on a flat platter using your hands. Refridgerate for an hour to firm up.
Step 3 - Make the sauce
Unmould the fish on to a flat serving dish.
Mix 6-7 tbsp of Helman’s mayonnaise, with 1 tbsp of tomato sauce and ½ cup of cream to make a thick spreading sauce.
Season well with salt and pepper. Spoon the sauce over the fish, wiping away any drips on the serving dish.
To decorate the fish: Use very thinly sliced red radishes, cucumber or green peppers to make the 'scales' of the fish.
Arrange the slices in an overlapping pattern, starting from the tail end and working your way up to the head, creating the appearance of fish scales.
Then use bunches of parsley, or lemon slices to form the fins and tail, and half a black olive for the eye. Add slices of lemon to decorate around the platter.