Fish in Hiding (Rcp# 0009)

Originally a fish dish, it can also be made with tofu. And very popular with our family.

Ingredients for ‘Fish in Hiding’

• 200g raw pesto mix (made from blended parsley stalks and carrot weed stalks, ratio 3:1 parsley to carrot weed)
• 200g Hokkaido pumpkin, diced
• 200 ml boiling water
• Pinch of salt (mild, such as from the Himalayan Salt Range)
• Freshly ground nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons apple pulp
• 2 teaspoons pesto basilico/pesto verde (plantbased, e.g. with cashews)
• 1 tablespoon potato starch (dissolved in 5 tablespoons cold water)
• 300 g smoked tofu, divided to fit the bottom of a baking dish or casserole
• 400 g broccoli florets
• 300 g stale bread/rolls (preferably whole grain)
• 200 g grated cheese (plant-based)
• Canola oil to grease the pan

Cooking Instructions for ‘Fish in Hiding’

1. Place the raw parsley pesto mixture in a saucepan with the Hokkaido squash and cover with boiling water.
2. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes until the Hokkaido squash is tender, then turn off the heat, allow to cool, and when cool (finger warm), strain through a sieve or use potato smasher to smash.
3. Add salt, nutmeg, apple pulp and pesto basilico to the mixture, stir in dissolved potato flour. Mix well with remaining ingredients.
4. Preheat oven to 190°C (convection with top and bottom heat).
5. Grease a baking dish or casserole (about 23 x 23 x 9 cm, cubic).
6. Place the following ingredients in the baking dish in this order from bottom to top: protein source (“fish”), broccoli, torn stale bread, cheese, and sauce (parsley-hokkaido mixture). Then cover the baking dish with a suitable sheet of baking paper.
7. Bake for 20 minutes with cover on, then remove the cover and bake for another 25 minutes without. Check inner temperature and serve only when inside is fully heated through.

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Side Notes:

1. I always use parchment paper that I have used for baking cookies, etc. This is enough to cover the pan. However, make sure you can use it for more than that on a baking sheet, otherwise it can catch fire. To avoid this, we always use suitable heavy baking paper that can be used on both sides (also, our baking paper is biodegradable – a very cool idea).

2. You can use all sorts of products made from (plant-based) protein sources like soy, chickpeas, hemp, lupines, mushrooms, etc. to ‘hide’ them. I would suggest using ingredients that are slightly salty, but not too spicy, as that would disrupt the overall flavor composition of this dish.

3. This is originally a fish dish. That’s where the name comes from. If you want to make it the original way, use pollock fillets or another fish that cooks quickly, such as salmon fillets. If the fish is frozen, thaw it gently in the refrigerator or, depending on the room temperature, in the kitchen. Be sure to cover it with a colander in case there are flies around.

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