Pan-fried swordfish with Malaysian-style curry sauce

Ingredients

• 2 swordfish steaks (250gm each)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Fried curry leaves, toasted coconut flakes and coriander, to serve
• Steamed jasmine rice and lime wedges, to serve
• Pickled carrots
• 1 bunch baby carrots, scrubbed and halved lengthways
• 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• Curry sauce
• 40 gm unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 8 curry leaves, plus extra fried leaves to serve
• 2 red shallots, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp brown mustard seeds
• 3/4 tsp ground turmeric
• 100 ml coconut milk
• 2 tsp lime juice
• 1 tsp brown sugar

Instructions

1. 1

   1: For pickled carrots, blanch carrots in a saucepan of salted boiling water until tender (2 minutes), then drain. Transfer carrots to a bowl, add remaining ingredients, toss to coat and set aside to cool and lightly pickle (15 minutes).

2. 2

   2: For curry sauce, cook butter in a saucepan over high heat until foaming and nut brown (2-3 minutes); pour into a heatproof bowl and set aside. Heat coconut oil in pan over medium-low heat, add curry leaves, shallots, garlic and spices, and cook, stirring, until golden and fragrant (6-8 minutes). Transfer to a high-speed blender with coconut milk and blend to a smooth purée. Gradually add brown butter in a thin, steady stream until emulsified. Add lime juice and brown sugar; blend until smooth. Season.

3. 3

   3: Heat a heavy-based frying pan over high heat. Drizzle swordfish steaks with olive oil and season. Add fish and cook, turning halfway, until flaking easily on the outside but still pink in the centre (2-3 minutes each side, depending on thickness of the fish). Remove from pan. Add curry sauce to pan, bring to a simmer, then return fish and turn to coat.

4. 4

   4: Drain pickled carrots. Divide rice, fish and pickled carrots among plates. Scatter with coriander, fried curry leaves and toasted coconut flakes. Serve with lime wedges on the side.