Komodo Kitchen: Leftover Luxury

 
 
“Nothing is more exhilarating than fresh fish simply cooked.”
— Rick Stein

Whilst at Komodo we tend to agree with the sentiment, our deep love being days at sea lunching on its freshly caught delicacies, we are also huge advocates for crafting incredible dishes from the meat that didn’t get eaten during a meal. Part of the movement of conscious eating, favouring farm-to-fork eateries, sourcing ingredients as sustainably as we can and avoiding unnecessary waste, we fly the flag for reimagining today’s dishes tomorrow in the hope of removing the stigma that leftovers can’t be luxury. In fact, we are all for using parts of the fish that might get overlooked to create a meal that might be even tastier than the original feast. Some of the most delicious morsels are from the cheeks, jowl and on top of the head. Cooking “en papillote”, with fennel and slices of lemon for example, is a simple way to cook a whole fish and the next day, there is the opportunity to use any bits of meat for an indulgent breakfast of kedgeree or a fish pâté snack.

 

Cooked fish has a longer shelf life than fresh so it is perfectly fine to eat after three to four days in the fridge. Reheating fish is also safe, however, the natural oils in the meat are fragile and can produce stronger flavours the second time around. Alternatively, you can create cold dishes that are both mouthwatering and environmentally conscious too. Although Vietnamese summer rolls are traditionally made with prawns, we love to use all different types of seafood. The transparent wraps offer a window to our twist on the classic and show off the beauty of the ingredients we’ve used.

Join us in this food revolution and follow the delectable recipe below using leftover fish after a seafood barbecue or dinner party.

 
 
 
 

A well-loved recipe

 

Vietnamese Summer Rolls

INGREDIENTS

(Serves 12)

For the dipping sauce

  • ½ cup fresh lime juice

  • 3 tablespoons fish sauce

  • 3 tablespoons sugar

  • 2 fresh red Thai chillies

For the rolls

  • 120g bean thread noodles

  • 12 22cm round rice paper

  • 18 cooked and peeled prawns, halved lengthways, or your leftover cooked fish

  • 1 cup fresh basil

  • 1 cup fresh coriander

  • 1 cup fresh mint

  • 1 cup cucumber, cut into matchstick pieces

  • 1 cup carrot, cut into matchstick pieces

  • 12 small green or red lettuce leaves

METHOD

For the dipping sauce:

Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl. Cover and chill.

For the summer rolls

  1. Put the noodles in a large bowl. Pour enough hot water over to cover and let them stand until softened (about 10 minutes). Drain. Transfer the noodles to a bowl of iced water to cool then drain and set aside.

  2. Fill a pie plate with warm water. Working with 1 rice paper round at a time, soak the rice paper in water, turning occasionally, until pliable but not limp (approximately 30 seconds). Transfer to a work surface. Arrange 3 prawn halves or any seafood meat across the centre of the round paper. Top with the basil, coriander, mint, cucumber, and carrot. Arrange a small handful of noodles over. Place 1 lettuce leaf over, torn or folded to fit. Fold bottom of rice paper over filling, then fold in ends and roll like a burrito into a tight cylinder. Transfer roll, seam side down, to a platter. Repeat to make 11 more rolls.

  3. Cut the rolls in half on a diagonal slant. Add chopped coriander to the dipping sauce or serve with a peanut sauce and enjoy.

 
 
 
 
Oscar Faragher