When struggling for fruit bowl space among glossy grapes and strong smelling mangoes, kiwis can sometimes be overlooked (perhaps it's their fibrous, dull brown skin).
A press release on behalf of Zespri, a kiwi distributer based in New Zealand, detailing the health benefits of kiwis, caught my eye a few weeks ago. It not only extolled the virtues of eating the fruit, but also provided recipes for cooking with it - not something I'd really considered before.
A bit of research soon proved that the rumours were true: for a relatively small fruit, kiwi contains surprisingly high levels of vitamin C (apparently more than oranges), as well as vitamin E and A, potassium and beta-carotene. They're also a good source of dietary fibre and are thought to help reduce cholesterol levels and increase iron intake.
Still feeling a little suspicious about cooking kiwi, the first recipe that I tried was for salmon filo fingers, with kiwi dipping sauce. It actually turned our rather well, although the dipping sauce was quite sweet - next time I'd be tempted to add some lemon or lime juice. That said, the zippy, fruitiness of the sauce cut through the richness of the salmon rolls and the wasabi added a welcome kick.
1/4 cup olive oil or melted butter
1 lb 3 oz (600g) fresh salmon fillet
1-1/2 tsp wasabi
8 sheets frozen filo pastry
1 tbsp sesame seeds
For the dipping Sauce
4 ZESPRI® GREEN Kiwifruit
1/2 tsp finely grated ginger root
1 tsp honey
1 tsp sweet chilli sauce
1/4 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper
Gently heat one tablespoon of the olive oil in a frying pan and cook the salmon for two to three minutes on each side or until just cooked. Place the fillets on a chopping board and spread a little wasabi over each one. Cut in to finger-sized strips.
Take one sheet of filo dough (keep the remaining sheets covered with damp absorbent paper) and brush with olive oil. Top with another sheet and cut into 3-inch strips.
Place a piece of salmon on one end of a strip of filo and roll up tucking in the edges. Brush the end with a little more oil to seal. Repeat with the remaining pastry and salmon. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Pre-heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Place the rolls, joined end down, on baking trays and bake for 15 minutes or until golden.
To make the dipping sauce, slice the kiwi fruit into halves and spoon chunks out into a food processor. Add all remaining ingredients, and pulse until roughly blended. Pour into a bowl and serve with the hot wasabi salmon.
Images and recipe courtesy ZESPRI®
Now I might even be tempted to try their kiwi marinated lamb shanks:
