I’ll get to the fish shawarma wraps in a mo. First I must say, Tom Walton’s book More Fish, More Veg is a bit like a placard, protesting to remind me what I’m meant to be eating. More fish – check. More veg – check. Thanks Tom.
Really, you can’t go wrong with this bible for family eating. The recipes are clear and achievable and there’s a warmth in Tom’s writing that makes me think we’d make excellent friends. I often feel that way about food writers and can only imagine the fabulousness that would occur should all of us get together for a meal. Doesn’t everyone wish to have more friends who just can’t cook for us enough?
I suspect Tom would be one of those friends. Inviting us around for a casual Tuesday dinner, then serving up something as magnificent as these fish shawarma wraps. Hmmm… do you think it a coincidence that I’ve chosen sha-warma wraps from the very sha-warma Tom Walton?
Anyway, don’t you hate it when people go on before recipes like their story is more important than the food? Gah, the worst!
So leaps into this fish shawarma wrap recipe and let me know what you think. Fancy sharing it with shawarma Tom with me?
Fish shawarma wraps
Recipe and words by Tom Walton
These wraps are an example of how building your arsenal of condiments can help you create layers of flavour quickly. I skewer the fish in between slices of lemon, which caramelises them into a new level of deliciousness when they’re grilled.
You could also make these vegetarian by swapping the fish for cauliflower florets or diced eggplant (aubergine) that have been tossed in the ras el hanout marinade and roasted at 220°C for 12–15 minutes.
Makes 4
600 g firm white-fleshed fish, such as ling, Spanish mackerel, swordfish, gemfish or barramundi, cut into 3 cm pieces
1 tablespoon ras el hanout (see Notes)
Sea salt flakes and ground black pepper
¼ cup olive oil
2 lemons
1 brown onion, cut into 1 cm slices
To serve
8 small Lebanese-style flatbreads
1 cup hummus
3 handfuls fresh herbs, such as flatleaf parsley leaves, mint leaves or dill sprigs
1 tomato, sliced
1 Lebanese cucumber, sliced
½ cup sumac yoghurt (see recipe below), or natural Greek-style yoghurt
Soak eight 12 cm (4 ½ inch) bamboo/wooden skewers in water for 10 minutes.
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.
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.
Preheat a barbecue or chargrill pan to high. Toss the onion in the remaining olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper.
Cook the fish for around 2 minutes each side, and the onion until it’s charred and gnarly, about 2 minutes.
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 and zhoug, wrap it all up and dive in!
Pro tip
Make the condiments and skewer the fish up to a day in advance.
Notes
Ras el hanout, a North African spice mix, is available at well-stocked supermarkets and some grocers.
You could leave out the flatbread and serve this bowl-style, bulked up with some salad leaves or shredded lettuce.
Images and text from More Fish, More Veg by Tom Walton, photography by Rob Palmer. Murdoch Books RRP $39.99.
