This ‘kokoda’ is not the famous New Guinea war-time track but a seafood dish that appears on many menus in Fiji. It is pronounced kokonda, the same way Nadi is pronounced Nandi, not Nardi – the locals in a Suva restaurant laughed when I first ordered the PNG wartime track.
Kokoda is also known as “Coconut Ceviche”, “Tahitian Fish Salad” and, in the Cook Islands, “Mata”. It takes about ten minutes to knock up and it’s a delicious South Pacific favourite. It’s raw fish, marinated in lime juice, with coconut cream and is served cold. Fresh tuna is probably the best choice of fish but even calamari works for me.
For an entrée for 4 people, get:
- 400g fresh fish
- 1/2 cup lime or lemon juice (kiwi fruit can be used for a quick-time marinade)
- 1/2 cup thick coconut cream
- 1/2 cup red onion
- handful chopped coriander
- finely sliced spring onion or two
- a green or red chilli (no seeds, no pith and finely chopped)
- salt and ground black pepper
Cut the fish into small chunks or strips and mix through the lime juice. Leave it in the fridge for at least an hour – up to four hours. The finer the fish is sliced, the quicker it will “cook” in the citrus juice. Combine the remaining ingredients, drain the fish and toss through the coconut mixture. Serve at once with salt and pepper to taste. A crispy bed of lettuce makes a nice presentation and a cool crunchy taste and texture. For a different taste replace the coconut milk with soy sauce. For a speedier marinade, use kiwifruit – don’t leave that one for four hours though or the fish may “melt”.
Bon appetit!