In Chef Tom Walton’s new cookbook, More Fish, More Veg, he walks you through the key cooking methods for perfect fish and veg step-by-step, and provides pointers on sustainability and seasonality that will take the guesswork out of what fish to buy. He’ll also show you how to make veg the star of the show with his vibrant dishes that are full of life and colour. Season by season, his book is bursting with easy-to-make recipes, and sauces, that celebrate the abundance of top-quality local ingredients and make it a breeze for you to eat more fish, more veg and is a great cookbook for Father’s Day or for anyone wanting more fish and veg in their diet and repertoire.

Serves: 4

Ingredients: 

  • 600g firm white-fleshed fish, such as ling, Spanish mackerel, swordfish, gemfish or barramundi, in 3cm pieces
  • 1 tbsp ras el hanout (North African spice mix, available at well-stocked supermarkets)
  • Sea salt flakes and ground black pepper
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 2 lemons
  • 1 brown onion, in 1 cm slices

To Serve: 

  • 8 small Lebanese-style flatbreads
  • 1 cup (220g) hummus
  • 3 handfuls of your fave herbs
  • 1 tomato, sliced
  • 1 Lebanese cucumber, sliced
  • ½ cup sumac yoghurt (see previous page), or natural Greek-style yoghurt

Method:

  1. Soak eight 12 cm bamboo/wooden skewers in water for 10 minutes.
  2. Place the fish in a bowl with the ras el hanout, some salt and pepper and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and toss to coat.
  3. Cut one of the lemons in half lengthways and then cut each half into eight thin slices. Thread the fish onto the skewers in between the lemon slices – you want three pieces of fish and two slices of lemon per skewer. If you have time, place the skewers in the fridge for up to 1 hour to marinate.
  4. Preheat a barbecue or chargrill pan to high. Toss the onion in the remaining olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper.
  5. Cook the fish for around two minutes each side, and the onion until it’s charred and gnarly, about two minutes.
  6. To serve, lay the flatbreads out, spoon some hummus onto them and top with the herbs, tomato, cucumber and the charred onion. Place a fish skewer on top, then pull the bamboo skewer out and discard. Finish with the yoghurt, wrap it all up and dive in!

Sumac yoghurt:

This is the perfect no-fuss, make-ahead sauce to have on standby in the fridge. Sumac has such a wonderfully fresh, fragrant, slightly sour flavour that really livens up dressings, salads and fish. You’ll find so many uses for this sauce – I use it throughout the book. You could also thin it out with water and drizzle it over salads. Try stirring through some chopped fresh mint and grated cucumber and serving it as a dip.

Makes 1 ¾ cups

  • 1½ cups (390g) natural Greek-style yoghurt
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1 tablespoon sumac
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • Sea salt flakes and ground black pepper

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and season to taste. Store in an airtight container or jar in the fridge for up to 1 week.

More Fish, More Veg, by Tom Walton, is out now from Murdoch books for RRP $39.99

Photography by Rob Palmer