Sauteed Skate With Indian Lime Pickle Recipes

SWISS CHARD WITH INDIAN LIME PICKLE

Steps:

• In a blender, combine lime pickle, lemon juice, and oil and puree until smooth, adding water as necessary to create a liquid. Set aside. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and add 1 tbsp salt. Prepare an ice bath (a large bowl of ice water with 1 tbsp salt). Add chard to the pot and boil until bright green and very tender (9 to 12 minutes). Drain chard in a colander, submerge briefly in the ice bath to stop cooking, drain again in colander and squeeze to release most of the water. Set aside. Heat butter in a large sauté pan on medium heat. When butter is melted, add shallot, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper, cover, reduce heat to low and sauté until shallot is translucent, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Add chard, lime-pickle puree, lemon zest, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix vigorously. Serve warm.

LIME PICKLE

Steps:

• Put the limes in a saucepan and cover with water. Place a small heatproof plate on top of the fruit to keep them submerged and then bring to a boil over a medium heat and simmer for 20-30 mins until the limes are tender. Scoop out the limes, pat them dry with kitchen paper, and discard the cooking water.
• Once the limes are cool enough to handle, chop them (peel and pith included) into 3cm chunks and tip everything, including any juice, into a mixing bowl. Stir in the chopped garlic, chilli powder, turmeric and salt, and leave to one side for 1 hour.
• Heat a sturdy and dry frying pan over a medium-low heat, and add the mustard seeds, fenugreek, cumin and star anise, Stir and toast the spices for about 40 seconds until aromatic. Tip them into a mortar, add 1 teaspoon of sugar and pound to a powder with a pestle - you can also use an electric spice grinder for this, too.
• Add this ground spice mix to the limes, stir well, spoon everything into a sterilised jar and then seal. Leave the pickle in a warm place or on a sunny window ledge for 2-3 days so that flavours mature. Stir the limes once a day with a metal spoon to ensure they are evenly coated in the spice mix.
• Heat the oil in a wok or karahi over a medium-high heat and fry the ginger and green chillies for 2-3 mins, until the ginger starts to turn golden. Add the vinegar and sugar and simmer over a medium-low heat until the sugar has dissolved, then boil for 2 mins.
• Turn the heat off and add the steeped limes and masala. Leave on one side to cool and then spoon the pickle back into the same jar. Using a metal spoon, push the limes down into the jar so that they are covered by the spicy oil - you might need to add a little extra oil. Seal the jar and leave the pickle for 3-4 days before tasting. It will keep for 3 months at room temperature.