Preparation: 15 minutes
Cooking: 30 minutes
Servings: 4
This aromatic and flavourful dish of softly poached seafood in a coconut curry is a firm favourite at our house. The fish, scallops, and vegetables are gently simmered in coconut milk with chilli, ginger, and lemongrass, a flick of turmeric, and a dash of lemon juice.
Brain Food Note
This dish is packed full of nutrient-rich ingredients. The fish and scallops are abundant in vitamin B12 to boost brain health and help delay memory decline, plus iron to lift fatigue and brain fog. The chemical properties in mushrooms and the healthy fats in coconut milk help to even out mood, while the chia seeds contain omega-3 fatty acids for brain memory and performance. I’ve added turmeric and ginger to improve digestion and to soothe a busy mind, plus lovely golden pumpkin and crisp green kale for vitamins C and E, magnesium, and folate to encourage a bright outlook.
You Will Need
12 scallops
4 medium fillets gurnard, sliced in half (about 600 grams), or you can use any other firm white fish such as cod
2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 cloves garlic
juice of 1 lemon
1 cup pumpkin, cut in 2 cm cubes
1 carrot, sliced
1/2 cup sliced leeks
4 shitake mushrooms
2 stalks lemongrass, finely sliced
600 ml coconut milk
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 chillies, sliced thinly
4 stalks of kale, stems removed
1 thumb-sized piece ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 pinch freshly ground black pepper
What You Do
Heat the coconut oil in a deep frying pan over high heat. Season the scallops and fish with salt and pepper and place the scallops in the hot pan. Sear the scallops on both sides quickly, approximately 1 1/2 minutes each side, and then remove them from the pan. Add the fish fillets and also sear on both sides quickly, about 2 minutes for each side, then remove and set aside.
Add the garlic to the pan and cook until soft and fragrant (about 1 minute). Squeeze the lemon juice over the tope to deglaze the pan and then add pumpkin and carrots. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the leeks, lemongrass, and mushrooms, and cook until they start to soften. Pour in the coconut milk and simmer until the vegetables are soft (about 10 minutes).
Once the vegetables are cooked, add turmeric, chillies, kale, ginger, and chia seeds, then add the fish and scallops back in. Cook gently for a further 2–3 minutes. Spoon quickly onto warmed plates and add a squeeze of lemon juice over the top.
