Blackened Mirror Dory with Lime Butter

Serves 4

4 x 200g Mirror Dory fillets
½ cup vegetable oil
Green salad, to serve

Cajun Spice Mix
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
½ tablespoon dried garlic
4 dried chillies, coarsely chopped (see notes)
½ tablespoon salt flakes
½ cup sweet paprika

Lime Butter
1 lime, zested and juiced
125g butter, softened
Salt flakes and freshly ground white pepper, to taste

Make Lime Butter: combine all ingredients well. Roll butter into a cylinder shape, 3-4cm in diameter, in plastic wrap, refrigerate until firm (see notes).

Make Cajun Spice Mix: dry roast all the seeds for a few minutes, until aromatic. Grind to a fine powder in a spice grinder. Add garlic, chillies and salt and grind until fine, then stir in paprika.

Place spice mix on a flat plate. Pat the fish dry with paper towel. Brush both sides with vegetable oil and roll in the spice mixture, ensuring they are evenly coated.

Heat remaining oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Cook the fish for 4-6 minutes each side, until spices begin to blacken and the flesh flakes easily when tested with a fork.

Put fish on plates and place a thin disc of Lime Butter on top of each one. Serve with a green salad.

Notes: Remove seeds from chillies before chopping for a milder flavour. This recipe only uses a small amount of the Lime Butter, the remainder can be frozen and pieces cut off as needed to melt over fish or vegetables. This recipe can also be cooked on a BBQ or char-grill plate.

Alternative Species: Leatherjacket, Morwong, Redfish, Snapper or any of the Bream or Dory species.