Char-grilled salmon kebabs & vegetables with lime mayo

Created by: Sydney Seafood School at Sydney Fish Market
Serves: 4

This is a great buffet dish served on a big platter for a barbecue or other casual gathering, but would also be an elegant entrée for 8 people if you made 16 small kebabs instead of the 8 larger ones.

Ingredients

  • 750g thick pieces sashimi-grade salmon, skin off, pin-boned (see notes)
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 8 bamboo skewers, soaked in water for at least 1 hour 
  • ⅓ cup whole-egg mayonnaise (see notes)
  • 1 tbsp lime juice
  • 3 zucchini, trimmed and sliced lengthways into 5mm-thick strips
  • 3 Japanese eggplants, trimmed, sliced lengthways into 5mm-thick strips (see notes)
  • 1 red capsicum, seeded and cut into thick slices
  • 2 small red onions, cut into eighths
  • 4 lime cheeks, to serve

Method

  1. Cut fish into large even cubes, place in a bowl and toss with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Thread the cubes onto the skewers, cover and refrigerate until ready to cook. 
  2. Combine mayonnaise and lime juice; you may not need all of the juice, it should taste lightly tangy. Set aside.
  3. Heat a barbecue or char-grill plate. Brush the zucchini, eggplants, capsicum and onions with remaining oil, salt and pepper, and cook for 2-4 minutes each side, until well coloured. Remove and set aside.
  4. Cook the skewers for 30-60 seconds on each side, until the flesh is opaque almost all the way to the centre. Don’t cook them all the way through, as they’ll continue to cook after they are removed from the heat. 
  5. Arrange the vegetables in the centre of each plate with the skewers on top. Drizzle with some of the lime mayonnaise, garnish with a lime cheek and pass the rest of the mayonnaise separately.

Notes

  • Sashimi-grade fish is normally sold trimmed, if it is not, trim off any skin and dark muscle and check for bones before cutting it.
  • If you don’t want to make your own mayonnaise, use one made from whole eggs such as S&W or Thomy.
  • Japanese eggplants are long thin purple eggplants, sometimes also called slipper, or baby, eggplants.
  • Alternative species: Albacore, Bonito, Mackerel, Striped Marlin, Swordfish, Tuna.