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Snoek: scrumptious, sustainable – and sold in the UK

by Jeanne Horak on December 1, 2006 40 Comments in Braai/Barbecue, Fish, Gluten-free, Recipes, South African, South African products

Snoek © J Horak-Druiff 2006

Isn’t it funny what you miss from home?  When the first wave of South Africans came over to London after we were welcomed back into the Commonwealth, suitcases were stuffed full of Mrs Ball’s chutney, rooibos tea and illicit biltong.  Now all of these things are available at many mainstream supermarkets (which is either a sign of just how popular our cuisine is – or a sign of just how many of us there are over here!!).  So then I started carrying over Ina Paarman’s seasonings and Nando’s pepper sauce – which are now both available (albeit the former only in South African shops).  These days, I carry a somewhat more eclectic mix back with me – Nice ‘n Spicy spice packs, Peck’s Anchovette and Melrose biltong cheese spread – but the fact is that increasingly, I can get the foods I miss over here.

However, there have always been some things that are harder to find than others.  Boerewors was a problem until I discovered the outstanding example made by Web Butchers in Southfields.  Ostrich was a distant memory until I found the Gamston Wood ostrich stand at Borough Market.  Fresh game (kudu, springbok etc) is still something I haven’t seen.  And I do miss my snoek (rhymes with book, not fluke).  Snoek (or, more correctly, Thyrsites atun) is a big scary game fish in the perch family which frequents the temperate waters around South Africa.  It is also found in Australia and New Zealand where it is known as barracouta (no relation to barracuda).  It can grow up to 2m in length and weigh 6kg – which is rather a lot for a fish, as far as I’m concerned! I have seen them in the Two Oceans Aquarium in Cape Town and believe me, I’m not doing synchronised swimming with a school of these babies.  But I’d be more than happy to arrange a meeting once they’ve been scaled, gutted and cleaned 😉

One of the reasons why you never see fresh snoek in England probably has to do with its little PR problem amongst the British public.  Allow me to elaborate.  During World War II when everything was scarce, food rationing was rife and cheap sources of protein were few and far between, somebody had the bright idea to catch cheap fish in South Africa, can it and ship it to England.  Suffice to say it did not go down too well over here.  The Web is full of war years recollections penned by people who remember this weird fish with the hugely amusing name arriving and being inedibly bad.  A large proportion of the tins that were imported remained firmly on shop shelves (despite optimistic suggestions from the Ministry of Defence – like Snoek Piquante which seems to have become a kind of shorthand for everything unpalatable about food rationing!).  I must say, I’m pretty sure nobody I know in South Africa eats the stuff tinned (shudder) and general consensus is now that bad canning methods was to blame for much of the snoek’s unintended piquancy…

 

Snoek bones

 

But for those of us who grew up in South Africa, it’s a very different story.  Snoek is one of the great culinary pleasures of the Western Cape (the province surrounding Cape Town).  The flesh is oily and presumably packed with all the health benefits that oily fish brings; the meat is firm and strongly flavoured, rather like mackerel on steroids.  And although there are lots of bones, they are truly gargatuan (2 inches long!) and can easily be seen and picked out. It can be sold fresh, smoked or salted; the fresh version is grilled, baked, fried, stewed or (my favourite) done on the braai; and the ready-to-eat smoked version can be served cold with a sweet relish, mashed into a pate, or flaked and heated up with tomatoes, onions and peppers in smoorsnoek, or (literally “smothered snoek” – Nick’s favourite).  A favourite gift to bring back form Cape Town is a side of smoked snoek, and you can even buy them packaged in nice sturdy cardboard boxes at Cape Town airport.

So how did snoek come to grace the table at our annual Big South African Braai in the dying days of summer this year?  Well, on a visit to friends in Milton Keynes, we dropped by the headquarters of Cruga.  The shop is unprepossessing, occupying a unit on an industrial estate, but once inside it’s like coming home.  Not only can you buy a full range of Cruga biltong there (both sliced and packaged or, as Nick prefers it, in whole slabs, to be sliced at home), but you can also stock up on all manner of South African goodies like ProNutro, peppermint crisps, NikNaks (no, the ones sold over here are NOT the same), Savannah cider and Choc-Kits.  And in a freezer we also spotted… frozen snoek!!  I could not believe my eyes.  And obviously there was no way I was not buying it!  We didn’t have a cooler box, but it was frozen solid and we wrapped it in copious amounts of damp newspaper, then even more dry newspaper and it got back to London as solid as a rock.  As you see from the first picture, it filled the entire Weber – it was at least 40cm long, and that was without head or tail!  Nick made his super secret apricot jam basting sauce (just kidding – recipes to follow below) and cooked the fish in a closed Weber.  As it turns out, our snoek was smoked but undyed, which you really could not tell until you tasted it.  But this is a good thing as the saltiness works beautifully with the apricot jam and I suspect we inducted at least one Aussie and one German into the Cult of Snoekology that day.  I’m not brave enough to try and convert a Brit yet!

 

Snoek price in GBP

 

What made me think of this snoek braai was a post that appeared on Beyond the Pass last week talking about a Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) study of the levels of fish stocks around the South African coast.  It makes for sobering reading.  The mainstays of most South African fish menus (kingklip, Cape sole, kabeljou, Cape salmon) are all overfished and declining – which should give everyone pause for thought in the same way as recent revelations in the UK that cod is being overfished and in decline.  But the good news, according to this handy Southern African Sustainable Seafood Initiative (SASSI) booklet explaining which fish are ethically OK to eat and which are not when dining in South Africa, is that snoek is still plentiful and OK to eat!  Hurray!  Ditto my beloved mussels, oysters, calamari, butterfish and good ol’ hake.  Snoek has always been an integral part of the diet and culture of the so-called “Cape coloureds”, referring to the predominantly Afrikaans-speaking community that has its roots in the indigenous Khoisan people;  slaves brought from the Dutch East Indies by the Dutch colonists in the 17th century; or a combination of these and other local ethnic groups.  In fact, they have a saying equivalent to the English “well, knock me over with a feather!”, which goes along the lines of “slaat my dood met ‘n pap snoek!” (literally “strike me dead with a limp snoek”).  But although most South Africans are happy to eat snoek at home on the braai, many restaurants still do not serve it, except as smoked snoek pate.  The reason is probably twofold.  Firstly, the bones are easiest to remove by hand, which is no problem at home but makes for an unedifying spectacle in a restaurant dressed in your best frock.  Also, snoek has never quite shaken off its image as a food of deprivation – people who can’t afford sole eat snoek, so there is some resistance to ordering it in a restaurant.  But if the FAO are correct, it’s time we all learned to give snoek a more prominent place on restaurant menus and gave the overfished species a break.  I, for one, would be thrilled to see more snoek on menus.

UPDATE 2019: I have not been to the Cruga shop in years and I am not sure if they still stock snoek, but you can sometimes also get it from Best Biltong South African shop in Kingston-Upon-Thames and Mauritian Foods Online.

As promised, here are a couple of recipes for South Africans who have access to snoek, or Brits who are looking to revise their opinion of it 😉

WHOLE SNOEK ON THE BRAAI

Dead easy, this.  The hardest part is to find a cleaned and butterflied snoek!  All you need it Bovril and smooth apricot jam.  Seriously.  Dissolved a tablespoon of Bovril with hot water in a Pyrex jug. Add about 2 tablespoons of smooth apricot jam and microwave it on medium heat for 2 minute bursts, stirring in-between, until the jam has dissolved and a smooth sauce had formed. And that’s it! You can add some fresh black pepper if you feel you haven’t done enough 😉  Place the snoek skin side down on a lightly oiled braai grid over an indirect fire in your Weber kettle braai (or, indeed, over any braai fire.  Let’s not be prescriptive here!).  Baste liberally with the sauce and… leave it alone.  Have a drink.  Then check back and baste some more.  It should cook in about 15 – 20 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish.  Do make sure it’s cooked through.

SMOORSNOEK / GESMOORDE SNOEK (which is what became of our leftovers!)

Ingredients (the amounts can be scaled up or down depending on how much snoek you have)
1kg cooked (or smoked) snoek, skinned, boned and flaked (or substitute smoked mackerel or cooked smoked haddock)
2 large potatoes, cubed
1 large onion, chopped
2 large tomatoes, peeled and chopped into eighths
1 small green pepper, seeded and chopped
1 green chilli, finely chopped (optional)
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp sunflower oil
salt and pepper to taste

Method
Boil or steam the potato cubes until just soft.  Drain and keep warm.  Heat the oil and butter in a heavy bottomed saucepan, fry the onions and green chilli until the onions start to brown.  Add the green pepper and the potato and continue to fry until the potatoe cubes start to brown slightly.  Keep stirring to make sure the mixture does not burn.  Add the tomato and allow to combine with the other ingredients into a soupy stew.  Add the flaked fish and allow to simmer gently until the flavours start to blend.  Add a little boiling water if the saucepan is too dry.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Serve hot over rice.

SMOKED SNOEK PATE

Ingredients
250g smoked snoek, boned & flaked (you can substitute smoked angelfish)
250g cream cheese (I would use Philadelphia or similar)
1Tbs lemon juice
pinch of ground ginger
5 spring onions, finely chopped
125ml whipping cream
Optional – you can also add a splash of tabasco or a teaspoon of horseradish paste

Method
Combine all ingredients except cream in a food processor.  Whip cream separately and fold into the mixture.  Scoop into a mould or individual ramekins and refrigerate.  Serve with wholewheat toast.

And see this great idea for snoek with bacon, cilantro/coriander leaves and orange.

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  1. herschelian says

    December 3, 2006 at 9:58 pm

    Oh yes! I have had the “disgusting” snoek conversation with many of the WW2 generation, and try as I might have never been able to persuade them that it is really delicious. I do make Gesmoorde Snoek, but use smoked mackerel as a substitute – obviously not the same, but quite good.
    You can buy Savannah Dry in big branches of Tesco – shelved with the ciders – but they don’t stock Savannah lite.
    I used to be able to get Anchovette at Waitrose many years ago, then they stopped stocking it. I was told that there was some EU regulation that their production (in Saldahna Bay) contravened, and as the market for Anchovette in the UK and rest of Europe was so small, the company decided it wasn’t economic changing things to meet the regulation, so stopped exporting it. Shame! it is something I really, really love – specially on hot toast in winter time. I get everyone coming over to bring me jars and jars of it (and Prep shaving cream for my old man).

    Reply
  2. Jeffrey Bary says

    December 4, 2006 at 7:41 pm

    Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait a minute there. You can just say “(kudu, springbok etc)” and leave it at that. We want to hear about each and every one of these. The complete list at least to start. Then a description of the taste and a few pictures and recipes as well.
    If I’m lucky I can get frozen ostrich here in New York. Springbok? You must be kidding! Next time I go for a slice of pizza I’ll ask for the springbok with basil and garlic. I would have used another animal here as “springbok” is not inherently funny but I can’t even guess on the etc. I had to go to wikipedia to look up kudu.
    I served a rabbit stew over the weekend and that was more than challenging for my guests.

    Reply
  3. erin says

    December 11, 2006 at 6:40 pm

    I miss Snoek too and I only married a S. African, I didn’t grow up with it. One of my favorite food memories from when we lived in the Northern Cape for half a year was a Snoek braai in a mango juice marinade. I and the cook spent most of the afternoon peeling the crunchy skin off of the grill (to eat!) since no one else was interested in it. Silly people!
    I’d even settle for some Snoek biltong about now…

    Reply
  4. Natlan Maa says

    May 17, 2007 at 9:41 am

    I would also like to see Snoek on menus here in Cape Town. Two things about the post though:
    1. Snoek doesn’t have scales.
    2. Smoor snoek is traditionally made with salted, dried snoek (although many SA recipe books use smoked snoek). As with Baccalau, the dried fish is first soaked in water to get rid of most of the saltiness.

    Reply
  5. Leslie Cheong says

    February 26, 2008 at 5:12 pm

    Hello Cooksister,
    One supermarket chain plans to introduce the salted snoek to Singapore consumers in the next few days and as it is the first time this fish is available in Singapore, I wonder whether you have any tips on how to prepare the snoek before cooking, and whether you know of any Asian recipes for this fish. Will lightly grilling it and adding some sprinkling of curry powder add a zest to the dish? Would appreciate your early response before the fish goes public! Thanks.
    Leslie Cheong (Mr)
    Singapore

    Reply
    • maryse says

      May 5, 2017 at 2:48 am

      hi, is there still snook in Singapore? which supermarket chain has it? please help? i know this is an old comment but i’m desperate…
      thanks ahead Leslie.

      Reply
  6. anna says

    April 7, 2008 at 11:29 pm

    where can I find snoek? I live in Texas.

    Reply
  7. Natasja says

    June 6, 2008 at 3:01 pm

    Please can anyone tell me where i can buy snoek in the East of England?

    Reply
  8. George says

    June 10, 2008 at 1:13 am

    Anna
    I will be glad to help you but before you have to tell me have did you learn
    about salted snoek.

    Reply
  9. George says

    June 10, 2008 at 1:22 am

    Anna
    I willing to help you but before I will like to know where haved you learn to eat salted snoek. call me 714 537 8916

    Reply
  10. M.A.Moos says

    July 9, 2008 at 11:00 am

    Smoor snoek made the way explained above sounds absolutely disgusting.The only people that know how to make a proper smoor anything are the CAPE MALAYS

    Reply
  11. Chris de Lange says

    July 14, 2008 at 12:13 pm

    To the person that says Cape Snoek does not have scales, maybe you should come around to our place after a good day’s snoek catching and help wash the boat. Snoek are covered in small scales that stick like crazy to your boat, clothes, skin and equipment. If not washed off – preferably while still at sea – and left to dry, these tiny little scales need to be scraped off. And just to add salt to wounds, I love fishing, caught my quota of 10 last Sunday and ‘donated’ them all to the skipper of the boat to put towards fuel costs.

    Reply
  12. Elizabethl says

    July 18, 2008 at 6:16 pm

    It’s JUST as I suspected. I’m too gauche to be able to see how the smoorsnoek could be considered as “absolutely disgusting”. In fact, it sounds pretty amazing.
    I don’t think I’ve ever seen this fish here. But I wonder if sardines (because they are so oily) would have a similar flavour.
    I love the sound of apricot jam mixed with stock as a brushing sauce for barbecued fish. (I bet that would be good on chicken too!)

    Reply
  13. Jonathan Minnaar says

    August 23, 2008 at 3:19 am

    I am opening a South African Restaurant here in Texas, and I have been trying to locate a company that can import snoek to America. Do you know of any such company? If so Please email me at jonminnaar@gmail.com.

    Reply
    • Moenier says

      April 27, 2020 at 6:07 am

      Hi I’m moenier from south africa I’m 36 years old I saw your add , I’m from cape town I sell snoek fish at a good price, I’m looking to supply customers overseas my whatsapp number is 27815161815 its fresh i can airfreight to your destination let me know

      Reply
  14. Oscar says

    March 11, 2009 at 3:19 pm

    hi where can we buy snoek

    Reply
  15. margaret says

    October 17, 2009 at 11:38 am

    In north London, it’s now available at France Fresh Fish on Stroud Green Road.

    Reply
  16. Mark says

    October 21, 2009 at 7:14 pm

    It is not entirely correct to say that Cape Coloured people are a mixed race resulting from intermarriage, and it perpetuates the myth that the Cape Afrikaners with a darker complexion have no cultural or genetic root. In fact there is evidence, and much work was completed at Rhodes in this regard, showing that the mixed race Afrikaners have a far nobler heritage than simply the mixed offspring of settlers and slaves! They have a distinct ethnic root in the original Africans living in the Western Cape when the Dutch arrived and are descended largely from the Khoi and San people. An interesting and absorbing econ (involving numerous coloured folk in the responses) can be found at http://www.encounter.co.za/article/25.html as an example of how complex this is and how reducing it to simpler terms causes both confusion and insult. My partner is coloured and was disappointed that a potentially heart warming South African blog was tarnished by such a short sighted and insulting reference.

    Reply
  17. keith wilson says

    February 19, 2010 at 10:56 pm

    mmmmmm ever tried curried snoek very tasty!

    Reply
  18. Pierre says

    June 18, 2010 at 10:17 am

    I caught a snoek yesterday in the Hauraki Gulf here in Auckland, NZ. Popped it in my Bradley Smoker for about 2 hours with Alder Flavour sawdust. Just the way I remember it from the Western Cape. It is soooooo yummy. Sorry to torture you ex-pats so. Haha.

    Reply
  19. Mel says

    July 27, 2010 at 5:26 am

    I always like to go on your blog and I must admit, being a ‘Cape Colored’, I want to thank Mark who put that post about where we really come from. I am a retired professor in Literature at UWC and I recall how we used to teach our children our culture and heritage,I am disappointed to find that there are still so many white folks that doesn’t really know much about their fellow South Africans (the so called coloreds).Thank you anyways for your recipes. I do like your blog and often get some of my long lost recipes on here:)

    Reply
  20. Nisa says

    August 24, 2010 at 9:49 am

    Hmm, very interesting all these comments about the beloved snoek. Here’s an Indian twist to cooking snoek – either curried or fried with Indian spices.
    Fried Snoke: rinse and pat dry pieces of cut snoek, smear (liberally or otherwise depending on taste and ‘hot’ threshold) with chillie powder mixed with little bit of tumeric (borrie for South Africans)and fine cumin (jeera), garlic paste and salt to taste. Fry until crisp but not dried out. Sprinkle with chopped dhania (coriander) and lemon juice. Serve with basmati rice with whole cumin and plain yoghurt spiced with garlic, chopped green chillie and fine cumin.
    Curried snoek: make a paste with chillie powder, tumeric, fine cumin, garlic paste, salt and plain yoghurt. Smear this liberally on snoek pieces and lay these in a baking dish. Drizzle with little bit of olive oil. Bake in oven for approx. 30-40 min. Garnish with chopped dhania. Serve with cumin rice and veggies of choice.

    Reply
  21. Richard Dietzel says

    October 20, 2010 at 5:30 pm

    I came to your site while googling for Snoek recipes I had read a book “Bombers and Mash’ The Domestic Front 1939-45”, (Virago 1980) which is about the Home Front experience of women in WWII. Not a perfect book but an eye opener about the impact of the war on women and families.
    There were many recipe, advert, brochure and leaflet reproductions as well as recipes for all sorts of replacement foods, flourless, sugarless, eggless. The section on whale meat, snoek, “Rook Pie with Figgy Pudding” crow, thrushes, sparrow was intriguing! So I wanted a bit more information and you did a bang up job.
    I’ll have to look for some mackerel a common fish here in Oregon, USA. (That’s Orygun not Oregone)

    Reply
  22. Colin Bartlett says

    November 17, 2010 at 3:18 pm

    Here in Oxfordshire we have Faringdon stores or http://www.tasteofsouthafrica.com/

    Reply
  23. Coenraad van Deventer says

    December 13, 2010 at 6:31 am

    Hi, I am a commercial snoek fisherman. This is how you can braai a snoek: Get a fresh one, vlecked and washed. Cover it with medium coarse salt for about 30 min. Now wash it again and remove the salt, hang it out to drip dry for a few minutes while you prepare the coals. Paint it lightly with oil and put it on the grid and fry it on the meat side on hot coals. Turn it around after 1 min and lift the grid to ensure it does not stick to it(do the same with the skin side).Put it back on the flesh side and fry it for about 5 min. This seals the flesh and the result is a very juicy and tasty snoek. Coat the flesh side with your favourite basting while you fry it on the skin side. Now turn back on the flesh side an let the basting browns a bit. Lift the grid and put a news paper on the skin. Turn it around and remove the newspaper with your braaied snoek on it. Enjoy…

    Reply
  24. Hilda Davis says

    February 17, 2012 at 7:14 am

    Is there a plce in the USA where you can buy Snoek in any form to eat?

    Reply
  25. vee says

    February 20, 2012 at 10:38 pm

    Hi I am vee originally from Mauritius but now settled in the uk…of course we were not far from Cape town at one time. just wanted to share another snoek receipe with all of you in Mauritius we call it ‘Rougaille’ it’s made of salted snoek fish and it’s our favourite and very popular dish. First of all soak the fish in cold water for an hour then wash several time to get ridbof the salt. Remove from water heat a pan add some oil fry the fish until really crispy…take fish out once it’s done then use the same oil add chop onion wait until start getting brown add ginger garlic paste add fresh tyme cook for 1 mins then add 1 tea spoon of paprika followed by fresh tomatoes and tin chopped tomatoes leave to cook and simmer until u have a thick sauce. Add fish and green chillies leave cook for 2 mins serve with rice.
    Ingredient
    500grms snoek fish
    1 large onion chopped
    2 large fresh vine tomatoes chopped
    1/2 chopped tin tomatoes
    1spoon paprika
    1 spoon ginger garlic paste
    3green chillies
    2 table spoon vegetable oil
    Sail to taste
    Pls let me know if anyone tried this receipe.

    Reply
  26. Rooibos Tea says

    February 21, 2012 at 3:53 am

    I remember packing many items when I went to London the first time. Nowadays there seems to be so many South African shops. Tetley do a Rooibos tea, I don’t think it’s as good as Glen Tea

    Reply
  27. Lorrainel says

    February 8, 2013 at 12:43 pm

    Klink so lekker!!

    Reply
    • Jeanne says

      February 12, 2013 at 11:02 am

      Dit was nogal! Maar al ons Engelse vriende dink ons is so mal soos hase met die sous! 😉

      Reply
  28. Duane says

    July 27, 2013 at 10:33 am

    Hello Everybody, any chance somebody know the ultimate recipe for SALTED DRY SNOEK
    Possibly best method or a old Cape Famous method used long time ago possible please

    Greatly appreciate

    Thanks

    Duane Els

    Reply
  29. Ruth Saacks says

    September 2, 2013 at 7:04 pm

    You know what I miss—Smoked Angel Fish—such a delicate flavour and never as fatty as Snoek can sometimes be.

    Reply
  30. Edward says

    September 16, 2013 at 4:40 pm

    Hi it great reading your blog as a fellow South African I was drooling over yourvreciepies the one thing I always loved was salted snoek can you forward me details of your contact in Milton Keynes so that I can try to get some snoek lekker lekker fire cracker bru

    Reply
  31. Chelsea says

    March 5, 2016 at 6:45 am

    Your comment about Cape Coloureds are unfounded, Coloured people are mainly related to the KhoiSan people who are the indigenous people of South Africa, we did not come to South Africa with the Dutch Settlers as slaves. Yes we are a mixed race, however our roots stem from the KhoiSan please dont post information that you’re not sure about and I think it’s really disgusting that you call yourself a South African yet you dont know the history of Land.

    Reply
    • Jeanne says

      March 5, 2016 at 2:59 pm

      Hi Chelsea – thanks for your thoughts. Just to clarify – I specifically said that the Cape Coloured people are an ethnic mix of “slave labourers imported into South Africa by Dutch settlers as well as other groups”. I did not at any point say, nor do I think, that all Cape Coloured people are solely the descendants of slaves brought by the Dutch. The KhoiSan most certainly do fall under the umbrella of the phrase other groups originating in the present-day Western Cape which I included in my explanation. Furthermore, I believe that the Cape Malay community also consider themselves broadly as “Coloured” (for want of a better word), and they predominantly ARE descendants of the slaves brought from the Dutch east Indies, hence their Islamic culture. Given that this is a food, not an ethnographic or social anthropology blog, I provide short explanations like this for context, not as a definitive text and as I pointed out above, my original explanation (although not exhaustive) is certainly not inaccurate. Contrary to what you believe, I am aware of the history of my country and feel a responsibility as somebody with a sizeable online audience not to disseminate inaccurate information. In the interests of promoting understanding of this unique community, I have expanded my original definition somewhat to specifically mention the KhoiSan as one of the many and diverse strands of the ethnic heritage of the Cape Coloured community.

      Reply
  32. V Tavares says

    March 7, 2017 at 4:44 pm

    Thank you for sharing this great post. The information is just enormous. I was looking for things about snoek, I produce dry salted fish from Norway and some of my customers buy salted snoek. However I never took the time to figure out what exactly it is … so your post has helped alot. Thanks

    Reply
  33. indrawattie says

    August 24, 2017 at 11:42 am

    I would like to buy slated snoek fish can you tell me how much it please

    Reply
  34. T van Rooyen says

    April 4, 2019 at 11:24 am

    Oh you really got my mouth watering…..it is years since I had snoek but so many happy memories.
    When I was 9, I brought a box of smoked snoek back from my holiday in CT for my Std 1 teacher because it was the best present in the world that I could think of 🙂 She must have thought I was bonkers! Later at UCT we lived on smoorsnoek (everything was a “smoortjie” in fact).
    Today, out in the Cotswold boonies, I have no hope of getting saffer foods but I can dream. Maybe I’ll make some babotie tonight, just for old times sake.
    Thanks for some great recipes!

    Reply
  35. Victoria Morgan says

    December 12, 2019 at 6:31 pm

    My dad and I are spending a year on the WW2 ration book diet so I bought some snoek online, I could only get salted in a vacuum pack and have never eaten salted fish before so I’m soaking off the salt and taking out the bones and turning it in to fishcakes. I’m nervous because of all the horror stories but at least if it’s awful I can shrug it off as a real WW2 experience but your page and recipes have given me hope that it might not be too bad after all.

    Reply
  36. phillip says

    November 7, 2020 at 3:11 pm

    HI is it possible to buy or find an outlet selling Kingklip in the UK.Kingklip is a great South African Fish.For me its one beat tasting fish in the sea .

    Reply
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  • Potted smoked salmon with quick pickle apple slaw
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Love is in the air... 💕 Are you making a speci Love is in the air... 💕

Are you making a special dinner for your sweetheart tonight? This potted hot-smoked salmon with a pretty pink apple and red onion pickle is easy to prep and oh-so-delicious! It's also gluten-free if you serve it with GF crackers. Full recipe now on the blog - tap the live link on my bio to view. 

Are you doing anything special to celebrate today? Let me know in the comments! 💖
Ready for a wine tasting? 🍷 [Press trip] Back Ready for a wine tasting? 🍷

[Press trip] Back before Covid put our lives on hold, I spent a few days in the Languedoc-Rousillon wine region of France learning about (and tasting!) Pays d'Oc IGP wines. 

Want to learn more about the region's wines? Read on, swipe through the images (remember to  bookmark this post to refer back to later) - and click the live link in my bio for the full blog post! 

🍷 The Languedoc-Rousillon region is the largest wine producing region in the world, and produces about a third of all French wine. Pays d'Oc IGP is a classification region within Languedoc-Rousillon, with vineyards that take up over half the total vineyard area in the Languedoc-Rousillon region. Pays d'OC IGP wines account for about 20% of the total of all French wine produced.

🍷IGP stands for Indication Geographique Protegée, meaning it is a protected indication of origin and wines must be made only from approved grape varieties that must be grown entirely within the region's geographic boundaries.

🍷 Most French wines are named for their region (Bordeaux, Chablis, Champagne) but you won't see the name of the grape variety on the label. In response to consumer demand and the New World trend to label wines with grape varieties, rules were changed in Pays d'Oc in the late 1980s and Pays d'Oc wines now account for 92% of French varietal wines (e.g. labelled Chardonnay, Syrah, Viognier etc.).

🍷 There are 58 grape varieties that are allowed to be planted in the region but the Pays d'Oc IGP varietal wines to watch out for include Chardonnay, Rolle (another name for Vermentino) and Viognier among the whites; and Syrah, Mourvedre and Pinot Noir among the reds.

🍷 All wines labelled Pays d'Oc IGP are sampled and approved in a blind tasting by a panel of professionals, meaning the label is a guarantee of quality to the consumer. 

🍷 Producers that you should look out for include Gerard Bertrand, Domaine Gayda, Les Jamelles, Les Yeuses, Paul Mas and Domaine Aigues Belles.

First 📸: @everyglassmatters
New year's resolutions: waste of time or the way f New year's resolutions: waste of time or the way forward?

I have mentioned before that I don't really make new year's resolutions. There is always so much pressure to make them BIG lofty goals and this is essentially what dooms them to failure. Instead, for the past few years I have made a list of... affirmations? Mantras? I have yet come up with a word that does not make my toes curl 🤣

These are essentially reminders rather than goals - presets, if you like, for the year ahead. I keep them in a handwritten list next to my computer and when I don't know how to react to something or how to shake a mood, I read them and there is usually an answer in there somewhere. 

Given the bruising year last year was, and how 2021 has so far proven itself to be not much better, I really wanted to add something practical to this year's list to lift my spirits on days when I am down. And for that I borrowed shamelessly from the wonderful @gretchenrubin:

🌈  ACT THE WAY YOU WANT TO FEEL 🌈

And this photo is a reminder of how I want to feel on so, so many levels: hanging out with friends; dancing in the sunshine; wearing my favourite red dress; travelling (this was in Carouge, Switzerland); and surrounded by a rainbow of colour. I can't travel and I can't see friends, but I can dance in my kitchen, singing at the top of my voice wearing my brightest clothes. 

What strategies do you use to lift your spirits? I'd love to hear! 

📸 by @tasteofsavoie
If you, like me, are mssing your Pret-a- Manger Bi If you, like me, are mssing your Pret-a- Manger Bircher muesli during lockdown, you will want to bookmark this post right now! 🔖

I have learnt a few things during lockdown. I have learnt that I am more comfortable spending long periods alone than I had ever imagined; that I suffer a lot more from FOMO (fear of missing out!) than I would like to admit; and that pre-Covid I spent rude sums of money on commuting and barista coffee...! 

I also learnt that although I miss travel and social events and meals out, it is often the smaller things that you miss most acutely - the freedom to call up a friend you haven't seen in a while and inviting them over. Hugging (or even seeing) my family. And grabbing a macchiato and a Pret Bircher muesli on the way to work. Don't ask me why, but it became a small obsession of mine to create a fakeaway Pret Bircher during lockdown - and I think I have succeeded! Here's how:

For 2 servings you will need:
100g rolled oats
200ml milk or water
1 Tbsp sunflower seeds
1 Tbsp pumpkin seeds 
1 Tbsp shelled pistachio nuts
1 Tbsp dried cranberries 
2 small apples
175g plain yoghurt
Honey
Pomegranate rails

Mix the oats, seeds, nuts and cranberries together then add the milk/water and a pinch of salt. Mix well, cover and refrigerate overnight. 

When ready to serve, grate the apples and mix them in with the oats and yoghurt (add a little extra milk to loosen if needed). Stir in honey to taste and serve topped with pomegranate arils and pistachios. Full recipe and more photos are available now on the blog - click the live link in my profile.

Did you try any fakeaway recipes over lockdown? Please let me know in the comments - I would love to hear about it!
Me, turning around and walking out on 2020 like a Me, turning around and walking out on 2020 like a bad romance...

And while we are on the topic, can I still get a refund on the first week of 2021? Not sure it was fit for purpose... 🤣 Either way, I am putting on my brightest dress, fixing my eyes firmly on the future and walking purposefully towards it (bottle of wine optional but always welcome!). 

I don't make resolutions at new year, but I have been thinking about what positives I want to carry forward with me as I walk away from the car crash of a year that was 2020. For me, some big positives have been:

* Working from home, in terms of increased flexibility, increased productivity and increased visibility - I definitely hope never to have to work in the office 5 days a week again. 
* Better and more regular exercise. I ran 585km in 2020, probably as much as in all previous years put together - let's see what I can do in 2021!
* Better connection  and more video calls to faraway friends and family. Why have I not always made video calls?? 

I don't think we need to even mention the many negatives of the last year, but I am curious to know if you took any positives away from 2020? Let me know in the comments 🙂

Onwards and upwards!
One last look back at the kettle of crazy that was One last look back at the kettle of crazy that was 2020 before we dive headlong into 2021... 

I am guilty of not posting as much as I would have liked to in 2020 but as it turns out, I find it hard to be on social media much if I am not in a good headspace. Who knew... 😜 A lot of my posts were memories of previous trips but a huge thank you to you all for indulging my travelstalgia (if that is not a word, it should be!), coming along for the ride, liking, commenting, and sharing your thoughts. 

So I give you my #topnine2020 posts, in order of most likes over the past year. Left to right, starting top left, we have The Shard in London; my sesame ginger Brussels sprouts; Keukenhof garden tulips; Christmas at London's Spitalfields market: Carcasonne; my sticky plum upside-down cake; Singapore shophouses; Grenada harbour; and a raspberry & hibiscus G&T.

Here's to making new memories in 2021, and wishing you all a year of abundance x
So how was your Christmas day yesterday? In this So how was your Christmas day yesterday? 

In this year that has been so hard on so many people,  I hope you had somebody to share it with; enough food to feel replete; and warm place to eat. I know it was  not the Christmas that we all wanted, but it was definitely the Christmas that reminded us to count our blessings. 

One of the blessings at my table was one of the best Brussels sprout recipes I have ever had - roasted sprouts with chorizo, hazelnuts and thyme - and with only 4 ingredients, so simple to make! Trust me, you want to bookmark this one 🔖

For 4 people you need:
* 500g trimmed Brussels sprouts 
* 75g chorizo, chopped
* 15g hazelnuts
* sprig of thyme
* vegetable oil

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180C. Halve each sprout lengthways and toss the sprouts in enough oil to lightly coat. Arrange on a baking sheet, cut side down. Roast for 15 mins or until outer leaves start to brown, then turn over and roast till cut sides just start to colour (about 10 mins). 

2. While the sprouts are roasting,  toast the hazelnuts in a large dry pan over medium heat till light brown, remove and roughly crush.

3. In the same pan, fry the chorizo  till it starts to release its oil, then remove sprouts from the oven and add to pan. Mix well.

4. Tip sprouts into a serving bowl and top with hazelnuts and thyme leaves. Serve hot.
"The soul becomes dyed with the color of its thoug "The soul becomes dyed with the color of its thoughts." - Marcus Aurelius

I think we can all agree that 2020 was not the year that we ordered and was a really difficult year for almost everyone (other than maybe Jeff Bezos...).

I could so easily dwell on all the things I have found hard this year - being separated from my family in South Africa and no realistic hope of seeing them anytime soon; no travel since Oct 2019; the social isolation of living alone in a pandemic; having friends fall ill with Covid; and the huge anxiety brought on by the uncertainty of everything and the complete inability to plan anything (hard for a planner and control freak!).

But as the quote says, think dark thoughts and your soul ends up dark. So I have chosen to dye my soul in the bright colours of things I am grateful for instead: a rewarding job that i can do remotely; amazing friends to Zoom or call around the world; a house of my own that I love; a beautiful running route minutes from my door; and a strong, healthy body.

What colour are you dyeing your soul in this Christmas?

🎄🎄🎄
If you've visited London in the last 7 years then If you've visited London in the last 7 years then you cannot have failed to see The Shard - a striking assymetrical architectural "shard of glass" building dominating the skyline south of London Bridge. 

At 800ft and 95 floors, it is the tallest building in the UK and western Europe and houses 26 floors of office space, 3 floors of restaurants, 19 floors of 5-star Shangri-La hotel, 13 floors of residential apartments, and London's highest public viewing gallery, @shardview, comprising the 68th, 69th and 72nd floors.

The viewing gallery has now reopened after the Covid-19 lockdown and here are my 6 top tips for visitors:

🏙 Book in advance via the View From The Shard website. Walk-ins are not currently accepted. Although you can make a same day booking via the website, tickets are up to 35%  cheaper if you book 14 or more days in advance. For example, a standard adult ticket costs an eye-watering £34, but can go down to £22 if booked in advance.

🏙 Entry is timed and you have 30 mins after your allocated time to arrive or risk losing your slot. Security procedures take a while, so arrive 15 mins or so before your allocated slot.

🏙 Once you are at the top there is no time limit so take your time! Savour the views in all directions, as far as 40 miles away on a clear day. Use the enhanced reality interactive telescopes to learn more about London landmarks.

🏙 You can buy a £5 "weather guarantee" per ticket - and then if visibility is so bad you cannot see at least three of: the London Eye the Walkie Talkie, Tower Bridge,  One Canada Square, and St Paul’s Cathedral - then you can come back for free within 3 months.

🏙 No cash payments are accepted, so make sure you have a card to pay for souvenirs and refreshments.

🏙 Make sure you visit the restrooms while you are there - it's the best view from a loo you have ever experienced!
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Jeanne Horak is a freelance food and travel writer; recipe developer and photographer. South African by birth and Londoner by choice, Jeanne has been writing about food and travel on Cooksister since 2004. She is a popular speaker on food photography and writing has also contributed articles, recipes and photos to a number of online and print publications. Jeanne has also worked with a number of destination marketers to promote their city or region. Please get in touch to work with her Read More…

Latest Recipes

Plate of potted smoked salmon with slaw and a glass of champagne
bowls of pistachio pomegranate bircher muesli
Brussels sprouts with chorizo & hazelnuts
Plum upside down cake
plum flapjack crumble
Sesame ginger Brussels sprouts
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