Pan-fried Fish with Chilli and Parsley Oil
Serves 2 maincourse/4 for starter
The trick to really good pan-fried fish is most importantly fresh fish. Fresh fish should not, and does not have a strong smell; it should be lightly fragrant of the sea!
Ingredients
- 4 fillets of flat fish, john dory, plaice, sole, brills, turbot or part of a round fish fillet, like salmon, cod, grey mullet, etc (allow 175g/6oz for main course and 75g/3oz for starter)
- Seasoned flour (ie. with a pinch of salt and pepper) – optional
- 10g butter/ olive oil
- Chilli and Parsley Oil
- 1 handful of parsley leaves, roughly chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 1 red chilli, seeded and chopped
- Sea salt and freshly cracked blk pepper
- 90ml (3 fl.oz) olive oil
Method
- Dry the fish fillets on kitchen paper, heat a frying pan on a high heat(cast iron or non-stick….stainless steel sticks)until smoking, add a dash of olive oil and throw in the fish fillets, turn when golden on one side, then cook again till golden on other side. Drizzle with chilli and parsley oil, and serve immediately.
- NOTE If you want to use the flour and butter(as above) then dip the fillets in the seasoned flour, then spread a little soft butter on one side of the fish and put that side down in the hot pan first.
- NOTE Use fish as fresh as possible for the best flavour.
- NOTE You can skin the fillets if you like.
- NOTE 75g of fish for a starter is a good portion, and 175g for a main course; all depending on what else you are serving of course.
- Chilli and Parsley Oil
- Put the parsley, garlic and chilli into a bowl, season with salt and pepper, and add enough olive oil to make a loose sauce.
- NOTE Great with pan-fried scallops, squid, prawns, lamb chops and steak. Also good served as a quick pasta sauce
- NOTE This keeps really well in the fridge; a couple of weeks, easily!
