For whatever reason, I'm not very adventurous when it comes to cooking fish. I always have some cod fillets in the freezer, but that was about it. So I've decided to branch out and utilise the fresh fish stall at my local market: the perfect location for sourcing some fresh, sustainable fish. The fish monger recommended lemon sole, which is a gorgeous, white fish and easy to cook. I've learnt that it's best cooked simply, so in this recipe, I simply pan fry the fish with a little bit of oil. No need to overcomplicate things! With crushed new potatoes (which are in season at the moment) and minted veggies, this dish is wonderfully fresh and light. This is a perfect combination of flavours and creates a balanced and nourishing meal. Clean eating at its best.
Ingredients
400g new potatoes.
200g green beans.
200g frozen peas (always keep a bag of these in your freezer - they are so handy and can go with almost anything).
Drizzle of olive oil.
2 pieces of lemon sole.
2 pieces of Parma ham - the saltiness of this will contrast wonderfully with the other flavours in the dish.
Handful of mint leaves.
3tbsp olive oil.
1tbsp lemon juice.
Method:
First step is to make the mint dressing. Put the mint leaves, 3tbsp of olive oil and the lemon juice in a bowl. Using a handheld blender, whizz this all up. Don't worry about it being too smooth - it's great to have some bigger chunks of mint leaves. Once whizzed up, set to one side.
Bring a pan of water to the boil and cook the new potatoes for 20 minutes or until they are soft. Give them a quick prod with a knife if you're not sure. While the potatoes are cooking, you can also cook the green beans and peas. It's up to you whether you simply cook them in the same pan or use a separate pan - depends how much you like washing up! Cook the veggies for 5-7 minutes. Make sure not to overcook them - the green beans still want to have a crunch to them.
Once the veggies and potatoes are cooked, drain them. Place the peas and green beans in the bowl with the mint dressing and mix well. Return the potatoes to the pan and crush them using a fork. Add a drizzle of olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Last step is to cook the fish. In a large frying pan, heat some olive oil on a medium heat. Cook the fish for 3 minutes on each side. It should be golden brown and the flakes will part easily with a fork. In the last couple of minutes you can add the Parma ham to the pan and fry off quickly. Once everything is ready, serve immediately. Sit back and enjoy the bursts of flavour from all the different elements of this dish.
Honest. Simple. Nourishing.
I hope you enjoy this recipe. Light and fresh, it's perfect for a summer's evening. For more healthy and nourishing recipes, head to https://infoodieheaven.wordpress.com/