A Wild Coast and Fish Foodies

The Wild Coast is a beautiful, remote part of Southern Africa and we had such a good time exploring the coast that I extended my stay by a week before returning to Helsinki. My brother, who lives in that part of the world, does spearfishing and we ate fresh fish and crayfish for dinner every night...

.......while watching the moonlight on the ocean and talking for hours on end.

It is winter down there however and a few cold fronts blowing in from the southern oceans meant that some of our planned hikes and dives did not eventuate. Instead, we did a lot of exploration on 4 wheels visiting lovely little coastal towns like Port St. Johns and Coffee Bay.

The few times we did get out into the ocean we had to contend with strong wind and currents but we still spotted quite a few whales jumping and blowing while swimming north. We spotted only one small baitball of sardines swimming up the coast being followed by birds, tuna, sharks and whales. The rest of the sardine run happened after I had already returned to Finland.

The rough roads and flat tyres resulted in our return to ‘civilisation’ and tarred roads a day earlier than originally planned. But having spent time down there, we plan to return during summer in the near future to make the most of the ocean in warm weather.

Everyone knows how to cook fresh fish. You do not have to do much to it, it is delicious when fresh. Living in Australia means that fresh fish is always available and I never bothered with anything frozen or canned. If you do not have access to fresh fish however, it presents more of a challenge. I found this recipe for a Tuna Frittata in an Australian magazine called Notebook . The November 2008 issue included this recipe which is probably one of the best ways to serve canned tuna. I changed the recipe slightly by adding some potato to the pan as well as chives.

Tuna Frittata

• 1 Bunch Fresh (or frozen) Asparagus – cut diagonally
• 4-6 Eggs – whisked4-6 Eggs – whisked
• 125ml Thickened Cream – optional
• 20g Butter
• 4 Spring Onions – sliced thinly
• Small Bunch Chives – cut into 4cm/2 inch slices
• ¼ Cup Fresh Dill – chopped
• 2 Tablespoons Fresh Mint Leaves – chopped (alternatively, use Thai Basil)
• Extra Mint Leaves for garnish
• 1 Tablespoon Capers – drained
• 185g Can Tuna – drained
• 2 Small Potatoes – peeled, cubed, cooked and drained

Boil or steam the asparagus for a few minutes. Refresh under cold water & drain well.
Whisk the eggs & cream together. Season with salt & pepper to taste.
Melt the butter in a wok or pan.
Gently cook the spring onions & capers for a couple of minutes till soft.
Add the potato cubes, asparagus, dill, chives and mint and toss briefly.
Pour the egg mixture into the pan.
Reduce the heat to medium-high and gently cook the frittata till set and golden. I like to put the pan under the grill for a minute to set the top and give it a golden crust before serving.
Top with the reserved dill, chives and mint leaves.
Cut into wedges and serve with a fresh green salad and cherry tomatoes.