PAN-FRIED WHITE FISH WITH CHILLI, CORIANDER & TOMATO ‘KACHUMBER’

Pan-fried white fish with chilli, coriander & tomato ‘kachumber’. Lightly spiced white fish served with the fresh kachumber – a popular Indian accompaniment – is fabulous, served with warmed naan bread and raita (yoghurt with grated cucumber and mint) on the side.

Recipe courtesy CJ Jackson, Great British Seafood Revival – merlinunwin

Prep and cooking time: 30 minutes (although allow an extra 2 hours for the kachumber to marinate)

Serves: 4

Skill level: Easy

Ingredients

For the kachumber

3 large tomatoes, skinned and chopped
2 shallots, finely chopped
1 green chilli (as hot as you like it)
Red wine vinegar to taste
Pinch of sugar
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Handful of roughly chopped coriander or parsley

For the fish

4 x 150g thick fillets of skinless white fish: ling, coley, pollack, whiting or tusk
2 tbsp plain flour
1 tsp Madras curry powder
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tbsp rapeseed oil
30g butter
Lime wedges to garnish

Method

• Make the kachumber a couple of hours before cooking the fish to allow the flavours to develop.
• Toss the tomato, shallots and chilli together and add vinegar, sugar and seasoning to taste. Chill. Stir in the coriander to serve.
• Check the fish for any residual bones and remove with a pin boner (thick-headed tweezer).
• Mix the plain flour, curry powder and seasoning together.
• Roll the fish in the flour.
• Heat the oil in a large frying pan until hot, add the butter and allow to sizzle. Reduce the cooking temperature and add 2 fillets of fish at a time. Pan
  fry for 2-3 minutes on each side – avoid moving the fish around too much as it will break up.
• The fish is cooked when the flesh is opaque and the flakes of the fish part if lightly pushed with the back of a fork. Lift onto a plate and keep warm in the oven while you cook the second pieces of fish.
• Replace the oil and butter if it has begun to burn.
• To serve lift the fish onto a large plate and spoon
• the kachumber over the top and serve with raita and poppadoms or naan on the side.