• Bones and head of medium size Yellowtail
• 1 liter water
• 1 liter milk
• 3 medium potatoes, peel and dice
• 1 medium onion, peel and dice
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 teaspoons Robertson's fish spice (optional)
• Salt and pepper
• 1 cup cream

Place bones and head of yellowtail in a medium saucepan, add water and boil for 30 minutes.
Add the milk and boil mixture for a further 10 minutes.
Strain the liquid to remove the head and bones.
Return the liquid to the saucepan and add, potatoes, onion, celery, parsley.
Boil until the potatoes are soft.
Working in batches purfify the liquid in a blender, then return to the saucepan.
Add cream and then season to taste with salt and pepper and fish spice.

• 1 pound crayfish tails (use rock lobster if in the USA)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 ounces butter
• 1 cup onions, thinly sliced
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon salad herbs
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 piece lemon rind
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup light cream

Heat 1-1/2 quarts water in a large saucepan to boiling. Add the lobster tails and salt, and simmer until tender. Remove lobster tail meat from shells, coarsely chop and set aside. Reserve stock.

In another large saucepan, heat the butter and sauté the onions for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, garlic, herbs, nutmeg, salt, pepper, and lemon peel. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes. Add the wine and 4 cups lobster water. Boil soup and cook for 10 more minutes. Force soup through a food mill, then return to the pot.

• Next time there is a sardine run at the South Coast, here is what you do with your catch...

  400g fresh or frozen sardines (anchovies can be used as well)
  50ml cake flour
  1 egg
  15ml milk
  125ml dried breadcrumbs
  sunflower oil
  coarse salt

  Dust the sardines with flour. Beat the egg and milk together and dip the fish in the mixture. Roll the fish in the breadcrumbs, coating them completely. Deep fry in hot oil, then drain on absorbent paper. Sprinkle the fis with coarse salt and serve them immediately.

As a Vaalie, (person living in the North of South Africa) I have never eaten bokkoms, but they were once a staple food along our West Coast where they were eaten like biltong (dried).

harders (mullet)
coarse cooking salt

Gut and wash the harders thoroughly (not necessary to scale them) 
salt the fish very well and layer them in a large container in a cool place overnight. Next day remove the fish from the salt and thread a length of strong twine through the heads to form bunches of 10 to 20 fish. Hang the fish out in a windy place until dry - a few days - but bring them in overnight.

All South African’s need to make sure that they have had a snoek braai sometime in their lives. It is one of those traditions that go down in your children’s memories as unforgettable.

In the Cape one can purchase a whole snoek on the side of the road just after the fishing boats have returned from sea. Make sure you choose one with firm flesh. Make sure your fish is gutted unless you know how to do it yourself.

Ingredients:

Melt ½ a block of butter
Add a small can of apricot jam
2 teaspoons of crushed garlic

Method:

Open your fish and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Lavish the butter mixture on the flesh.
Cover your braai grid with heavy duty tin foil and turn the corners up to make a ridge around the outside.
Place your whole fish on the braai grid. Baste continually until the fish is cooked. There is no need to turn it. Serve with salads and bread. CAUTION Snoek is a bony fish…let children eat it carefully. Keep bread on hand in case a fish bone does get stuck in a throat. A bread ball will normally push it down.