Crumbed flathead with cos salad + yoghurt tartare
(Serves 4)
400g Flathead fillets
2 eggs
1 tbsp full cream milk
Plain flour, for dusting
Panko, for crumbing
Salt and pepper
Neutral vegetable oil, for frying
Yoghurt tartare
200g natural full fat yoghurt
50g Japanese mayonnaise
1 French shallot (eschalot), finely chopped
10 cornichons, roughly chopped
2 tbsp salted capers, rinsed
Handful each of dill fronds and chives, finely chopped
Juice of half a lemon
Salt and pepper, to taste
Cos salad
1 baby cos lettuce, leaves separated
2 Lebanese cucumbers, finely sliced
1 French shallot (eschalot), halved and thinly sliced
1 avocado, halved and roughly chopped
Small handful of dill fronds and chives, roughly chopped
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Juice of half a lemon
Salt, to taste
Lemon wedges, to serve
Method
First, prepare the yoghurt tartare by combining all of the ingredients in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and keep refrigerated until ready to use.
For the salad, arrange the lettuce, cucumbers, shallot, avocado, dill and chives in a large bowl. Set aside.
Whisk together the olive oil and lemon juice in a small bowl and season to taste. Set aside.
For the fish, season the fillets with salt and pepper and set aside. Whisk together the eggs with the milk in a small bowl. Transfer to a shallow dish or tray. Line another shallow dish or tray with some plain flour, and do the same with the panko. You should now have the fish, plus three trays ready for crumbing. Working with one fillet at a time, dust the fish in flour, shaking off excess, followed by the egg mix and finishing with the panko, patting the fish to ensure the breadcrumbs stick to the fish. Transfer to a plate and continue with the remaining fillets.
Heat ½ – 1 cm of oil in a large fry pan over a medium heat. Fry the fish until golden and cooked through, around 2 minutes on each side. Drain on a wire rack and season with salt.
Dress the salad with the dressing and serve the fish with the salad, yoghurt tartare and lemon wedges.
What else I’m cooking:
I’m making use of stone fruit while it’s still around – in salads, grilled and served with mascarpone or baked into a cake – my most recent one being a pistachio cake with apricots and blackberries. Tis’ the season!
What else I’m eating:
Everything at Florian. Until recently I’d only been there for breakfast, and had my go-to – the perfectly cooked omelette. But their lunches are simply amazing – think stuffed vegetables with rice and herbs, grilled octopus with white beans and salad of nectarines, feta, cucumber and lettuce. The type of food I love to eat!
