I’m not great at writing titles, can you tell? But this is worth reading, so stick with it.
I love fish and chips from the chip shop, I don’t know many people that don’t. I also know they really aren’t in the slightest bit healthy. So here is my take on it. Well it’s nothing like battered fish and chips, but it is fish and it is really tasty!
- 2 thick portions of coley (skin on if possible)
- slice of bread
- lemon
- butter
I used coley as it is a really sustainable fish and is much cheaper than other types. You get the meaty texture of cod without the price tag.
Keeping the skin on will help you get a crispy dinner without the unhealthy fat and calories of the batter and it also has loads of health benefits. It is packed vitamins and minerals but also – collagen. This will help keep your skin and bones healthy, skincare from the inside!
More about the fish and other ingredients later but let’s get on to the recipe.
- Use a cheese grater to rub a slice of bread to make breadcrumbs (much easier for small amounts than getting a food processor out!)
- Put on a plate and add the zest on a lemon
- Heat a big knob of butter in a thick bottomed pan
- Pat the skin dry and season both sides with salt and pepper.
- When the pan is hot, add the fish, skin side down and cook until it will easily lift off. If it is sticking, it hasn’t been cooked for long enough.
- While the skin side is cooking, sprinkle the breadcrumbs and zest to the flesh side of the fish. Not drying it before hand will help this to stick. Spoon over some of the butter from the pan and pat down too.
- Once the skin is done, so crispy but not burnt, use two spatulas to flip the fish over. Using two helps the breadcrumbs to stay in place.
- Cook for a few minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish, until the fish turns properly white.
I served mine with some prawns, mashed potato, carrots, broccoli and cabbage. Give the lemon that you grated earlier a bit of a squeeze over the top of the fish to finish it off. It was crispy and very tasty.
You can make breadcrumbed fish with flour and egg wash first, but in my opinion that is waaaaaaay too much hassle and mess for a weekday dinner. This was very minimal effort and could be done while I was prepping the mash and the veggies.
I used butter instead of oil for the health benefits, yes it is high in fat, but good fats! The lemon gives it a bit of a zing and even more health benefits.
This came in at about £5 for 4 portions. I got the fish from the fishmonger section at Morrisons, a great resource. They can help you choose which cut and type of fish and will prep it for you free. They also have some great deals on end of date stuff too.
Here’s why you should give coley a go, such a healthy source of protein! https://www.checkyourfood.com/ingredients/ingredient/276/coley-fillet
