Ika Mata is a traditional Cook Islands dish consisting of delicate raw fish marinated in citrus juice and coconut cream.
Variations of this fresh, healthy and delicious cured fish salad are common throughout Fiji (Kokoda), Peru (Ceviche), Samoa (Oka i’a), and Malaysia (Umai).
Like most recipes, this coconut fish salad is incredibly versatile. You can substitute the mango for another fruit (papaya or pineapple), or you can add more substance to it by adding chunks of cooked kumara or taro – just adjust the seasoning accordingly.
This method of “cooking without heat” means you should ideally use sashimi-grade fish or, alternatively, ask your fishmonger for the freshest fillets available.
Serves: Four
Preparation time: 3 to 12 hours
Ingredients:
- 600g boneless snapper or mahi-mahi, skin removed and cut into 1cm cubes
- 125ml citrus juice (lime and/or lemon)
- 1 small green capsicum, seeded and cut into 1cm cubes
- 4 spring onions, finely sliced
- 3 red chillies, seeded and finely dined
- 2 tomatoes, concasse
- 1 mango, skinned and cut into 1cm cubes
- 2 tbsps fresh coriander, roughly chopped
- 250ml coconut cream
- 1 tsp freshly cracked white pepper
- 1 tsp freshly cracked sea salt
- ½ iceberg lettuce (optional)
Method:
- Combine the fish fillets with citrus juice in a large mixing bowl. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of three hours or overnight; give it a stir midway through the marination process.
- Once the fish looks opaque, drain the excess liquid with a fine sieve and return cured fish to the bowl.
- Add the remaining ingredients (minus the lettuce) and mix everything gently but well.
- Serve immediately with a garnish of lime wedges either in small bowls or crisp lettuce cups.