Cocoa-Rubbed Fish with Coconut Chutney {Food'N'Flix}

For my Mistress of Spices-inspired dinner, I chose a Cocoa-rubbed Fish with Coconut Chutney. I wanted to make something with turmeric, though I didn't make it on a Sunday. Oh, well.

Tilo says: "Each spice has a special day to it. For turmeric it is Sunday, when light drips fat and butter-colored into the bins to be soaked up glowing, when you pray to the nine planets for love and luck."

Cocoa-Rubbed Fish
I used some fresh ono that a friend had caught and created a dry rub with organic brown sugar, cocoa powder, ground cayenne pepper, ground turmeric, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and freshly ground pink Himalaya salt and flower pepper.

Pat your filets dry and completely cover the fish with the spices, gently rubbing the flavors into the flesh.

Heat butter and oil in a large flat-bottomed pan set over a moderate heat and cook the fish for 3 minutes before turning. The sugar will have caramelized and the fish taken on a dark sheen. Cook on the other side for another 3 minutes.

Add 3-4 tablespoons of water to the pan, cover with a lid and gently simmer the fish for 2-3 minutes to finish cooking. The fish will flake easily when ready. Add another pat of butter to the pan and sharpen with a squeeze of lime.

I served it with coconut chutney and a coconut basmati-pea pilaf.

Coconut Chutney
2 cups freshly grated coconut
1 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
sea salt to taste

Combine ingredients and keep in fridge until ready to serve.

Fragrant and sweet with a little bit of heat, this was a fun, summer dinner. I might just have to do something with fenugreek on a Tuesday or fennel on a Wednesday! I can't wait to see what the other creative cookers make from this movie.