Herb and garlic crumbed fish with olive, caper and lemon salsa
Serves 4
Ingredients:
For the herbed breadcrumbs:
Approx 150-170g fresh white sourdough or Italian loaf style bread, crusts removed
10g parsley
2 garlic cloves, peel and grate on a microplane
Salt and pepper
1 egg, beaten
4 pcs white fish* fillet (skinless) approx 150g each
80g butter, for frying
Olive, caper and lemon salsa:
30g diced shallots (eschalots)
100g chopped Meyer lemon* (approx 1 lemon)
10g parsley
50g pitted green olives
30g capers (3 tbls)
2 tsp. Dijon mustard or whole grain Dijon mustard
120ml extra virgin olive oil
*if you can’t find Meyer lemon, use a regular lemon. First zest it and then peel it using a sharp small knife to remove all white pith and cut into segments. Chop the segments and mix with the zest and proceed as the recipe says.
*my preferred fish for this is blue eyed cod but something like snapper, king George Whiting or John Dory would also be delicious.
Side dish ideas:
Mashed potatoes
Buttered peas
Wilted spinach
Chicory salad dressed with the same caper olive salsa
Method:
1. Pulse the bread in a food processor until small crumbs form. Add in the parsley and garlic, a pinch of salt and black pepper and process again until the breadcrumbs turn green. Pour them onto a plate or tray.
2. Place the egg in a shallow dish.
3. Season the fish fillets with salt and black pepper and then dip into the egg and then again into the breadcrumbs pressing the crumbs into the fish so it coats. Set the fillets aside until you’ve done them all.
4. To make the salsa, finely chop the shallots and the lemon and mix together in a small bowl. In the same food processor you did the breadcrumbs in, combine the remaining salsa ingredients and pulse a few times until everything is chopped up, then mix with the lemon and shallot. Set aside.
5. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. DO NOT be tempted to turn the heat to high. You risk burning the bread before the fish is cooked. Add the butter and once it’s melted, add your fillets. Cook until the crumbs are golden, about 3 minutes per side or until the internal temperature of the fillet is around 52C. Remove from the pan and season with a bit more flaky salt and black pepper.
6. Serve the fish with a big spoonful of the salsa.