‘Like the ocean gave you a high five’: This secret hero makes a fish burger unforgettable

For chef, author and proud Meriam woman Nornie Bero, the kitchen pantry doesn’t mean a can of beans and fancy olive oil.

As an “Island girl” growing up in the Torres Strait, the pantry was alive. As she writes in her new cookbook, Native Ingredients Every Day, it was “the whole bush, the shoreline, the mangroves, the fruit trees, the old women’s gardens, the shells, the salt in the air”.

The collection, which spans more than 80 recipes, honours these ingredients and her family’s knowledge, bringing them into the home kitchen for “everyone who loves to have a go in the kitchen”. From wattleseed focaccia to soup made with saltbush, river mint, peas and warrigal greens, the dishes celebrate the “broad, rambunctious and gloriously unpredictable” flavours of the native pantry.

As Bero explains in her book, when you know how to use native ingredients properly – in stocks, rubs, sauces and dressings – they become the soul of the dish.

“Picture this: a roast chicken with jus made from native limes, pepperberry and a dash of bush tomato. Or a green curry with river mint and finger lime pearls. Or even dessert – ooray plum tart, wattleseed ice-cream or lemon myrtle in custard,” she writes.

“You know every mouthful when you taste those flavours: the buzz of citrus, the whisper of earth, something familiar but new.

“When I cook for friends up here in the Islands or back on the mainland, I see
their eyes widen, their faces do that ‘what is this flavour?’ look, and I smile. That’s what happens when you bring native spices out of the shadows.”

Here, Bero shares two recipes from her collection – for crispy golden whiting on buttery brioche, and chocolate biscuits spiced with wattleseed, cinnamon myrtle, strawberry gum and hibiscus.

Whiting fish burgers with karkalla tartare

There’s something truly awesome about karkalla, the plump, salty, beachside succulent that tastes like the ocean gave you a high five. In this fish burger, it’s the secret hero that takes a simple fish sandwich and makes it unforgettable. It brings crunch, brine and a hit of pure coastal freshness that dances with the creamy labneh and mayonnaise. Paired with crispy golden whiting, a sprinkle of lemon myrtle and soft, buttery brioche, it’s the kind of meal that cries out to be eaten barefoot with sand between your toes.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 x 150g whiting fillets
• 2 eggs, lightly whisked
• 2 cups dry breadcrumbs
• neutral oil, for shallow-frying pinch of sea salt
• 4 burger buns (brioche or your favourite variety)
• 2 cups thinly sliced iceberg lettuce

Flour mix

• ½ cup plain flour
• 2 tbsp chopped dill
• ½ tsp lemon myrtle
• ½ tsp ground aniseed myrtle (or ground fennel)

Karkalla tartare

• 3 tbsp labneh
• 3 tbsp mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp finely diced pickled cucumber
• ¼ cup karkalla*, diced
• 1 eschalots (French shallots), finely diced
• finely grated zest of 1 lemon
• pinch each of sea salt and ground pepperberry

METHOD

1. To make the karkalla tartare, mix together the labneh, mayonnaise, pickled cucumber, karkalla, shallot, lemon zest, salt and pepperberry in a bowl. Chill until ready to serve. This creamy, salty tartare is the star of the show.
2. Combine the flour mix ingredients in a shallow bowl.
3. Pat dry the fish fillets. Dredge each fillet in the flour mix, then dip in the egg and finally, coat in the breadcrumbs, pressing gently to help the crumbs stick.
4. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Fry the crumbed fish for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until golden and crisp. Drain on paper towel and season with a pinch of salt.
5. Lightly toast the buns. Spread karkalla tartare on the bun bases, layer with crispy whiting, lettuce and more tartare if you’re generous (and you should be). Finish with the bun tops.
6. Serve with extra karkalla tartare on the side.

Makes 4

Note:

Karkalla (also called beach banana) is a plump, salty succulent that grows along the dunes, stretching across sandy patches like she owns the place – which she does. Her leaves are juicy, her flowers bright pink, and her flavour pure ocean sunshine.

When you bite into karkalla, it’s crunchy and briny, like a cross between a salty cucumber and a memory of the beach. You can eat it raw – straight from the sand if you’re brave and the seagulls haven’t beaten you to it – or toss it into salads. It’s also beautiful sauteed lightly in olive oil and garlic, served with grilled fish. Some chefs pickle it, but I love it simply chilled with finger lime pearls and a drizzle of macadamia oil – it’s like a salad and a sea breeze all in one bite.

Native-spiced crinkle biscuits

One of those treasured recipes that’s been written on a piece of paper and handed down to me, this comes out for festive occasions like Easter and Christmas. It’s an example of how you can combine a few native spices all in one dish: wattleseeds for chocolatey nuttiness, cinnamon myrtle for a sweet finish, strawberry gum for berry flavour and hibiscus for a touch of sherbet. It’s amazing that we have all these wonderful spices that from leaves and seeds. Each has its own unique flavour, but when you combine them in a biscuit, they create something extra special.

INGREDIENTS

• 120g plain flour
• ½ tsp ground wattleseed
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon myrtle
• ½ tsp ground strawberry gum, plus extra 1 tsp
• ½ tsp hibiscus powder
• 140g Dutch (unsweetened) cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder pinch of sea salt
• 240g butter, softened
• 400g caster sugar
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthways and seeds scraped
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup icing sugar

METHOD

1. Whisk the flour, spices, cocoa, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
2. Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, start by beating the butter, caster sugar and vanilla seeds until pale and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix until smooth.
3. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat until just combined (do not to overmix). Place the bowl in the fridge for 1 hour to firm up.
4. Meanwhile, mix the icing sugar and extra strawberry gum in a small bowl.
5. Preheat the oven to 180C fan-forced (200C conventional) and line two baking trays.
6. Using an ice-cream scoop, measure out portions of dough and place on a prepared tray, leaving enough space between the portions for spreading. Sprinkle generously with the icing sugar mixture.
7. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until semi-soft. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. The biscuits will harden as they cool.

Makes 12

Hints: These native spices are magical – use them if you can. But if you need to substitute, wattleseed can be replaced with a little ground coffee, cinnamon myrtle, with regular ground cinnamon and strawberry gum with vanilla extract.

This is an edited extract from Native Ingredients Every Day by Nornie Bero, photography by Rochelle Eagle. Published by Hardie Grant Books, RRP $39.99.