The Very Versatile Togar Oven

TOTALLY portable and definitely compact, the Togar Oven has to be one of the most versatile ways to cook seafood. Whether you want to smoke, bake, steam or poach, this oven can do it. Mussels, crabs, fish, prawns - you name the seafood, and it is very likely that this oven can cope with the task. High praise? You bet. I have not been as impressed with a cooking source for a long time.

The Togar Oven is very easy to assemble, with all the parts slotting into one another. A complete set of instructions is included with each oven. I found the Togar Oven great fun to cook with, and the end results were flavoursome and succulent. If you are going to use the Togar Oven as a smoker, don't worry about your neighbours. I found that negligible smoke escaped from the oven during the smoking process.

The Togar oven is available from Togar Ovens, PO Box 66, Beenleigh, QLD 4207. Phone/fax (07) 5546 4347.

STUFFED BAKED REEF FISH

Harissa is a hot and spicy paste used in Moroccan and North African cooking. You should find it in your local supermarket and most good delis. Also, in most supermarkets, you can find packets of ready toasted pine nuts. They add a nice crunch to the spicy Moroccan stuffing we are going to use to stuff the fish.

Ingredients

• 1.5 - 2 kg reef fish

Stuffing:

• 1 cup instant cous cous
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
• 2 tablespoons chopped mint
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 1/2 tablespoon harissa paste

Preparation

• Prepare the instant cous cous according to the directions on the packet. In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients for the stuffing. The simplest way to do this is with a pair of very clean hands, to ensure the harissa is well mixed into the stuffing.

• Ensure the gut cavity of the fish is clean and dry before spooning in the stuffing. Lay the fish on some oiled alfoil. Crimp the sides of the foil to form a container for the fish before placing it on a lower rack in the Togar oven. If the fish is large, you may need to use the extension sleeve to the oven.

• Now, this is where the Togar Oven shows its versatility. If you wish to smoke your fish to capture the smoky essence of Morocco, simply place a couple of tablespoons (you will only need two) to the base of the oven. Light the oven, and smoke the fish for approximately twenty to thirty minutes. When the smoking time is completed, carefully remove the lid, place the fish onto a platter and serve.

• Simple baked fish? Not a problem for the Togar Oven. Simply follow the instructions for the smoked fish, deleting the sawdust from the equation. By adding a couple of cups of water to the bottom of the oven, steaming the fish can become a super healthy option for your stuffed fish.

All of the above choices for the stuffed fish came out of the Togar Oven cooked to perfection, with nary a sign of any drying out. Definitely a foolproof way to cook your seafood.

The seafood used in this recipe was supplied by Sam’s Seafood, Hamilton, ph (07) 3268 7088.