Grilled seafood with tamarind chutney

"The fresh seafood on the Sunshine Coast is amazing and being able to go to the markets and pick it up off the boats is so convenient. Chef Woody and I have a great culinary relationship and cooking with him is a pleasure." Peter Kuruvita, Peter Kuruvita's Coastal Kitchen

• serves

  4

• prep

  35 minutes

• cook

  1:20 hour

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 100 ml olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves
• 250 g whole uncleaned squid
• 500 g uncooked Morton bay bugs, halved lengthways, meat removed, shells discarded
• 2 lemons, juiced
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley
• salt, to taste
• 1 tsp freshly cracked pepper
• edible flowers, for garnish (optional)

 

Tamarind chutney

• 450 g tamarind pulp
• 350 ml warm water
• 150 g ghee
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 30 g crushed garlic
• 30 g peeled young ginger, thinly sliced
• 650 g raw sugar
• 1 tsp dried chilli flakes
• 350 ml white vinegar
• 2 sprigs curry leaves, leaves picked
• 30 g black mustard seeds

Makes about 500ml of chutney

Instructions

To make the chutney, soak the tamarind in the warm water for 5 minutes, then push through a fine sieve to extract as much liquid as possible, then discard the solids.

Heat half the ghee in a heavy-based saucepan over low-medium heat and cook the onion, garlic and ginger for 3-5 minutes or until the onions are translucent. Add the tamarind water, sugar, chilli flakes and vinegar and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring continuously, for 1 hour or until the mixture has reduced by about three-quarters and is thick and pulpy.

Heat the remaining ghee in a small heavy-based frying pan over medium heat. Add the curry leaves and mustard seeds and shake the pan until the mustard seeds begin to pop, then immediately pour the seed mixture into the tamarind mixture, cover and cook for another 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, transfer to a bowl and cool.  Season the chutney to taste with salt, then spoon into two 500 ml (2 cups) capacity sterilised jars and seal.

Place the oil and garlic in a blender and process until well combined and finely chopped.

Clean the squid and reserve the heads. Cut down one side of the tubes to open up, then use a small sharp knife to score the inside. Remove and discard the beak from the head, then carefully open and remove the ink sack. Reserve the cleaned head and tentacles.

Place a large heavy-based frying pan over high heat. When the pan is hot, add the garlic oil and as soon as it turns golden, add the squid and toss to combine. Add the bug meat and cook for 2 minutes or until just cooked through. Add the lemon juice and season to taste, then stir in the parsley and place on a serving plate. Scatter with edible flowers if using and serve immediately with the tamarind chutney.

Note

• Unopened, the chutney will keep in a cool dark place for 1 year. Once opened, the chutney will keep refrigerated for 6 months. 

Photography by Dan Freene. Food preparation by Peter Kuruvita/Cody Fahey.

Peter Kuruvita's Coastal Kitchen airsThursdays at 8.30pm on SBS. Visit the program page for more details, recipes and guides.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.