Method

This looks like a mission, but it’s really just about one shopping trip to procure whatever you don’t have (you’ll probably find you have half of it already), and then some no-sweat mechanised blending to get everything mashed up.

Traditionally, this would be baked in banana leaves, but if you can’t get hold of them, reassure yourself that baking paper works perfectly well. The spice paste makes more than you need, but it’s hardly worth making less, and it keeps for ages in the fridge. You can use it later to bake or grill slashed chicken pieces.

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Grind the peppercorns, nuts and sesame seeds in a spice grinder. Blend this mix with all the remaining paste ingredients in a processor to a smoothish, but not entirely smooth, paste. Put each fish portion in the middle of a square of baking paper. Using two heaped teaspoons per portion, spread the paste over both sides of the fish, then fold the papers over loosely to make closed envelopes. Fasten with skewer sticks or toothpicks, and bake for 20 minutes.

Serve immediately with steamed long-grain rice and something salady – green, fresh and astringent. The Asian salad on page 54 would be just the thing.

Credit: Lampedusa Pie by Andrea Burgener. Co-published by Pan Macmillan South Africa and Bookstorm