Feb 22, 2024 4 min read Newsletters

Fish The Family Dish - Issue #56

New Zealand, West Coast, Kahawai.

Hey there, Food Lovers!

We recently enjoyed a few days away camping on the West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It is always so fun to get away from home and embrace nature for a few days. The photo above is of our haul of delicious Kahawai (a blood fish) caught one evening. Of course we couldn't eat all of this at once, but we were lucky to be able to bring some home with us to continue enjoying.

It's hard to beat a fresh fillet of fish, but sometimes we struggle with how to present it nicely. In this newsletter there's a throwback to an older video with tips for presenting grilled fish. I'll also show you a few things I've done with our Kahawai fillets and how you can make simple, bland looking fish exciting too.

Lastly in this newsletter, we'll talk about the effect colour has on food presentation.

In this issue:

Inspiration from my kitchen - Serving Fish
Video throwback - How To Plate Fish
Food presentation - The Effect Of Cooking On Colour

Inspiration From My Kitchen - Serving Fish

Fish is such a tricky dish to serve because it's rather bland looking in it's natural state. This is why presentation is absolutely essential to make it look as inviting as it tastes. I never used to enjoy fish as a child, but I've learnt to thoroughly enjoy it. I'm still working on learning to enjoy shellfish... ;)!

Some fish already has a bit of colour, like salmon or prawns, but it's a light colour that still needs the accompaniments and garnishes to help it stand out. That's why lemon is often a go to accompaniment with fish. It adds a lovely flavour as well as adding colour to the presentation.

The Kahawai bruschetta below is paired with our beetroot relish - an amazing flavour combination - but look how the colour addition improves the appearance. The addition of green chives also helps to bring it to life!

Salmon, wrapped in bacon with basil pesto. Grilled Kahawai bruschetta with garlic hummus and beetroot relish. Pan-fried prawns with guacamole.

Video Throwback - How To Plate Fish

The problem with plating fish is that it's often bland in colour. From a presentation point of view, it really boils down to what you are serving with it, or the colour of the plate and sauce that will make it stand out and look as good as it tastes.

Have a look at the video below where we explore different ways of plating fish to turn it from looking bland, dull and colourless into something that's appealing and exciting.

We bake the fish in 2 different ways - one using a crumb topping and the other baked in a sauce. Then we have some fun, plating it for best visual impact.

Food Presentation - The Effect Of Cooking On Colour

Colour is crucial in food presentation as it enhances the visual appeal of a dish, grabbing our attention and making us eager to eat. Vibrant colours add a splash of excitement to the plate, making dining a feast for the eyes as well as the taste buds!

Colour can create visual interest, balance, and contrast on the plate - making dishes more pleasing and memorable.

One way to add colour to something that might otherwise be bland is the way we cook it. Think about the colour difference between a poached chicken breast compared to grilled chicken breast. They both have their place in the culinary world and taste completely different, but they also need completely different plating styles to make them both look as amazing as they taste.

Smoking food is another way you can add colour. It can also add a whole new level of flavour to any dish. Have you ever tried smoking food? We have a small smoke box that can be used in the oven, stovetop or BBQ. It's so much fun experimenting with different things.

Look at the different colours of the fish fillets below. The different cooking methods change the appearance of the food, so the way you serve each of these will also be different to give the best visual appeal.