Each Christmas, many Aussie families question the wisdom of slaving over a hot oven for wintry roasts that aren’t particularly juicy or climate appropriate.
James Green knows this. The head chef of North Bondi Fish, Green is this year planning to leverage his venue’s expertise into his own kitchen. The plan? Swordfish with charred fennel and blood orange in a caper sauce. The impetus, says Green, is because it’s an excellent option for sharing with friends.
“This is the perfect dish for sharing because the swordfish is carved, so it's easy to be cut into pieces for a group,” he says. “It’s also the kind of dish that would look great on a platter in the middle of the table. I'll be cooking this up on the barbeque and enjoying on my balcony over summer with a few friends and a Spritz.”
That drink pairing isn’t accidental. In fact Green says the dish has been inspired by the classic orange Spritz.
“This recipe plays off the different elements of an Aperol Spritz,” says Green. “It has the aniseed and herbal notes from the fennel, the citrus of the blood orange and the acidity of the capers. It also reflects the style we have at North Bondi Fish – uncomplicated and quite straightforward to make, but big on flavour.”
For those unfamiliar with swordfish, Green describes it as meaty but with a subtle flavour, not unlike white tuna.
“It doesn’t have a strong fishy taste, [so] it pairs well with a great variety of things,” he says. “It’s like a neutral canvas.”
For the rest of the spread, Green suggests looking beyond the usual prawns and oysters, and opting for fresh fish bought Christmas morning and stored or served on ice.
“Food experiences are based on the quality ingredients,” he says. “So avoid supermarkets and go to a specialist supplier. In Sydney we’re blessed to have the fish markets.”
For sides, Green mixes up whatever local produce looks good on the day. “In summer tomatoes are amazing,” he says. “Just keep it simple – maybe something with rocket or another peppery leaf salad. That will really provide another accent on the dish.”
A roast beetroot salad with pine nuts and spinach could work well, too, he says. “It'll play off the earthiness of the Aperol Spritz.”
Music
Any celebratory occasion needs a soundtrack. We ask Melbourne DJ duo Wax’o Paradiso –Simon Tarrant and Edd Fisher – to put together a soundtrack for a summer occasion the might just feature a crew of friends with good food and an Italian-inspired aperitivo.
“Putting this playlist together was very nostalgic,” says Fisher of their summer party playlist. “Italian music plays a big role at Wax’o Paradiso parties, from vintage library and film soundtrack recordings, to Italo disco, to the “cosmic” style of DJing pioneered by certain legendary Italian DJs. This playlist reminds us of summer times spent touring, dancing and catching up with our European friends, who we hope to dine and dance with soon again.”
Here’s how to recreate the summer Christmas party at home.
Wax’o Paradiso’s playlist here.
co*cktail: Classic Aperol Spritz
Makes 1 serve. Approx. 1.3 standard drinks.
Ingredients:
90ml Italian prosecco
60ml Aperol
30ml soda water
1 valencia orange
Method:
Fill a large wine glass with ice. Add prosecco, Aperol and a dash of soda water. Garnish with an orange wedge and serve.
Recipe: Grilled swordfish salad with charred fennel, blood orange and caper sauce
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 fennel bulb
4 x 180g swordfish steaks, at room temperature
Sea salt flakes
2 blood oranges, segmented
Lemon cheeks, to garnish
Red vein sorrel, to garnish
Caper sauce
150g capers, drained
50g chardonnay vinegar
30g water
275g olive oil
Method
Preheat the oven to 160°C.
For the caper sauce, add the capers, vinegar and water to a blender and blend on high. Slowly drizzle in the oil until you have a smooth and glossy puree.
Cut the fennel into thick wedges and lightly season with oil and salt. Roast at 160°C until tender (roughly 20 minutes) and set aside.
Season the swordfish lightly with salt and pepper. Heat and lightly oil a barbeque or flat pan. Grill the swordfish for a few minutes each side, remove from the heat and allow to rest for a few minutes.
Before serving, warm the fennel on the barbeque or on the pan, until it’s hot and has a bit of char.
Arrange the fish and fennel on a plate with a generous pinch of sea salt, a little bit of the caper puree, some blood-orange segments, a lemon cheek, and some red vein sorrel leaves for garnish.
To win a summer session at home for you and nine friends, courtesy of Aperol Spritz, enterhere.
This article is produced by Broadsheet in partnership with Aperol Spritz. Try this recipe at home whilst you #ShareASpritz with friends. Drink responsibly.
