Fried fish and jewelled brown rice

   

Frying fish is one of my favourite ways to cook it. Dusted with a seasoned flour and fried gently in butter and oil, the fish will take on an attractive and tasty golden caramelised crust and provide you with lots of crispy edges while remaining juicy inside. However, your fish should be dried very well if it has just defrosted or is a bit wet. I once tried to marinade a piece of turbot with a wet jerk seasoning before frying and ended up with a mush that literally fell apart. We saved it by letting it brown and crisp in it's little pieces and called it fish hash, but, there is no post on this blog about that one.

Recipe : Fried fish 

(I used Basa fillets for this which are quite meaty and hold together well when frying).

2 pieces of white or other firm fleshed fish

1/4 cup all purpose flour seasoned with 1/2 tsp each of salt, black pepper, paprika and dried oregano

oil for frying

Heat about 1/2 inch of oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Sprinkle the flour onto a plate and add the seasonings, mix well. Dust the fish on both sides in the flour and then tap gently to get rid of any excess. Wait until the oil is hot and add the fish. Fry for about 5 minutes without disturbing to allow a nice crispy crust to develop and then carefully turn over and fry the other side. Remove and drain on kitchen towels before serving.

Recipe : Jewelled brown rice with egg and cheese

I used brown rice in this recipe at an attempt to be healthier. It has a nutty taste and chewy texture, but takes ages to cook compared to white rice, (about 45 minutes). The next time you cook some, make much more than you need and then bag individually and freeze so it only takes a few minutes to cook. If you don't have a microwave, don't forget to take it out of the freezer in plenty of time to defrost. 

 

1 cup of cooked brown rice

1 tbsp oil and 1 tsp butter

1/2 bell pepper, seeded and finely sliced

1/4 cup cauliflower, broken into their individual, tiny florets and briefly boiled in salted water

4 mushrooms, sliced 

1/2 cup kale, sliced

1/2 cup spinach

2 spring onions, (scallions), sliced finely

1/4 - 1/2 tsp salt, to taste and freshly ground black pepper

2 eggs

1/2 cup cheese

Heat the oil and butter in a frying pan and add the bell pepper, cauliflower, mushrooms, kale, spinach and spring onions. Fry together until softened. Add the rice and continue frying, stirring frequently, until the rice is hot through. Season to taste and then spread the rice and vegetables into an oven proof baking dish. Make two dents into the top of the mixture and crack an egg into each. Cover everything liberally with the cheese and grill, (broil), until the cheese is toasty and golden and the eggs are cooked to your liking.