local sauce

FISH DIVORCES CHIPS.

Fish and chips with mushy peas. Winston Churchill knew the score - "the good companions" he called them. But how did such a combination, the Romeo and Juliet star-crossed lovers of our national palette come to be? When did fish meet chips? Allow me to reveal my discoveries. The first official chippy in London was opened by Jewish immigrant Joseph Malin in 1860. One version of the story suggests that Scotland's chip shops began spreading south whilst England's fried-fish shops spread north only to meet in the middle in a rapturous embrace. Sluts.

One reason I won't be making fish and chips is not because I don't think they're fantastic but because nothing can compare to the True Chippy Experience. There's just no competition.

Another reason is that unfortunately for F+C (as my mother signs our Christmas presents, yes, she is a lunatic) people are on the look-out for healthier food at every corner these days. Even McDonald's has adopted a nutrition calculator, started serving five varieties of the same salad and has started writing on their website about 'understanding nutrition'. Please don't misunderstand, I am a major fan of McDonald's but I don't go there for the salad. This 'health kick' is a food trend that's here to stay, and sometimes I have to find a way to join in. Hallelujah, thus was born this recipe for fish without chips.

There are loads of different taste sensations going on here. The tomato chutney's Indian vibe kick starts it all whilst minty couscous provides refreshing zing factor. Thankfully our fishy familiarity with mushy peas remains firmly in tact but this is an amazingly tasty, healthy and colourful take on the trad F+C. Sorry chips!

Fish without Chips

Ingredients Lists

For the fish:
2 Sea bass fillets
Cornflour
Zest of 1/2 a lime
Turmeric
Garam masala
3 big glugs of vegetable oil, or enough to cover the pan


For the cucumber salad:
Half a cucumber, chopped into cubes
Half a red onion, finely chopped
1 large tomato, chopped


For the dressing, combine:
Juice of half a lime
2 cm of fresh ginger, grated
Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

For the couscous:
Couscous
2 big handfuls of mint leaves
Head of broccoli
1 garlic clove
A punch (more than a pinch) of salt


For the tomato chutney:
4 tomatoes
1 inch of fresh ginger, grated
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 green chili, chopped
A handful of coriander, roughly chopped
Tsp caster sugar
Salt and pepper to taste


For the mushy peas:
5 tbsp garden peas
2 tbsp double cream
1 tbsp butter
1Tsp cumin


How to...

...make the chutney:
Grill the tomatoes. When they are black on the top, take them out and wait for them to cool. Cooked tomatoes are akin to the fires of Mordor when they first come out of the oven so when they are cool enough to touch, roughly chop them combine them with all the other chutney ingredients in a large bowl. Taste and season accordingly.


...make the cucumber salad:
Combine all of the chopped vegetables and cover in the dressing.

...make the couscous:
Trim any woody ends or tough leaves off the broccoli with a knife. Divide into small, individual florets and boil for 1 minute or until al dente. Place the mint, garlic and broccoli in a magi-mix/food processor and whizz in short spurts so that you can control how small it becomes - you don't want it to become a puree.
In a bowl cover the couscous with boiled water and wait for it to absorb all of the water before breaking up the grains with a fork. Run the mint and broccoli bits through the couscous.


...make the mushy peas:
Boil the peas for one minute. In another pan gently melt the butter, cumin and blanched peas. Cook on a low heat for two minutes. Add the cream and bring to the boil. Mash peas (but only a little bit!)


...make the fish:
Heat the pan of oil until very hot. Meanwhile, combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl and cover the fillets with the batter. Fry them in hot pan, 2 minutes on each side. When cooked, place first on kitchen paper to absorb any excess grease and then sprinkle with salt.


...assemble:
Arrange salad and couscous on a plate with the tomato chutney. Place the fish on top and garnish with the mushy peas. YUM.