Surfing the local food scene

ANT ELLIS, A ROCK ‘N ROLL FOODIE BORN AND RAISED ON THE EAST COAST, IS PASSIONATE ABOUT EATING LOCAL, SUPPORTING THE LITTLE GUYS AND SAVOURING EVERY LAST BITE

In coastal locales the world over, there exists a simple and inimitable truth – sunshine and seafood are a match made in foodie heaven. Just the thought of a fresh, salty ocean breeze, sand between my toes and a weekend’s worth of downtime evokes something energetic in me – and of course, it’s directly connected to my appetite.

In every culinary language from Spanish to South-east Asian, Mexican to French and beyond, chefs, cooks and even food truck rock stars agree that seafood – when treated with respect and creativity – is the “most valuable player” on their seasonal menus. From bright, zesty ceviches to savoury fish curries, steaming mussel pots or endless other seaside favourites, a key principle behind preparing most of Neptune’s bounty is to keep it light and fresh.

Of course, it’s essential that we know the origin of our fish and shellfish, and that we’re supporting sustainable resource usage programmes (check out wwfsassi.co.za to learn about our responsibilities as consumers) before we tuck in. Of course, we have every right to ask our food providers about their awareness of (and contributions to) ensuring we’ll always have plenty of seafood to enjoy in the future.

A key philosophy of mine as both a late-starting student of the culinary arts and as a bona fide food geek, is that independent restaurants – as well as their suppliers – should be the places we seek out to eat, drink, and party. We should know our local servers, bartenders, chefs and managers by name, and they should know us. National restaurant and take-out franchises serve a purpose, but central kitchens delivering mass-produced tartare sauce by the barrel to a distribution centre should be the exception, rather than the rule. Let’s face it, we owe it to the indie heroes who feed us every day without the benefit of buying networks, marketing budgets or HR departments.

Brothers Daryl and Brett Bartho of Bartho’s Fish Co in Durban North, know a thing or two about life as a specialist independent food supplier. Says Daryl, “It’s all about passion that we want our customers to taste in the quality of the ingredients. We believe that what we do – and the way we do it – plays a valuable part in the local food industry.”

BEHIND THE MENU

I met with my good buddy and renowned local chef Brendon Newport to talk about his life in independent kitchens, and what inspires him to keep rocking.

“I’ve always gravitated to kitchens from which I can tell a meaningful local story. I drive the restaurant from the kitchen, so I need to be free to be able to react to trends, seasonality and even the day’s weather.” Brendon’s menu at Surf

Riders Cafe delivers something for everyone – staples include top-notch breakfasts, burgers and pizzas, elevated by a shifting seasonal menu of street food-inspired fusion dishes including Taiwanese bao buns, Hawaiian poke bowls and Mexican seafood salads.

We cooked up badass fish tacos in Brendon’s kitchen – pure Durban summer in every mouthful.

Use your choice of deboned white fish fillets, cut into goujons, battered and fried. Serve in hand-size flour tortillas warmed through, with a quick pickle, a generous drizzle of lime and chilli mayonnaise, a classic pico de gallo salsa, and customise with garnishes of fresh coriander, avocado, sour cream and jalapeños. Ice-cold beers with a tangy citrus wedgestuffed neck are mandatory.

Fish: Dredge fish in a simple batter of flour seasoned with salt, pepper and cumin, and a dash of baking powder. Mix until smooth with beer or soda water. Coat the fish, shake off the excess and shallow fry until golden and cooked through.

Lime and chilli mayonnaise: To half a cup of your go-to mayonnaise, add juice of a half a lime and Tabasco to taste. Mix well.

Pickle: Mix together one cup each of shredded cabbage and carrot, add half of that of thinly sliced red onion. Soak in 75ml red wine vinegar, add some peppercorns, a few cumin seeds, and half a teaspoon of sugar and mix.

Pico de gallo: Mix together a cup of tomatoes, half a cup of white onion (all finely diced) and plenty of chopped coriander. Add salt and a squeeze of lime juice.

Fill and top your tacos the way you like, and smash ’em.

Until next time, eat well, tip well and support local. Crank it up!

FOR MORE INFO

Rock on! Talk to me at ant@rockthekitchen.co.za