Fish in UK is not
cheap; I am talking about the ones that we get in the monster supermarket chains.
They are really pricey and who lives in UK would nod head on that. So, during my
exploration I ended up on this beach in Fish Quays which I mentioned in my
previous post and also stumbled upon so many fisheries which sell fresh daily
fish that is very cheap. Incomparably cheap! A box of 3-3.5 kilos of fish cost
just 5 bucks, that’s how cheap it can get, which otherwise, less than a kilo
cost more than that.
The fisheries have
loads of fresh fish caught on daily basis, contains loads of varities and they even have fresh lobsters swimming in the
aquarium! I love that place. I was told many a times that we get real cheap
fish from the Fish Quays, but we never bothered to go there for a very long
time until very recently.
We live quite close
to the North sea, and so is blessed with lots of beautiful beaches. The one
that I regularly go to is the Fish Quays for the reason it is close to my son’s
school, loads of fisheries around, nice to walk and you have these series of
steep stairs that I along with my friend now started climbing as part of our
exercise regime; our free local gym. I love to spend time there, may it be just
for a walk or just to spend some time at the beach myself or with my family.
Fish Quays is a
fishing port close to the Tyne river in North Shields, Tyne and Wear, England. It has
lot of history to speak. Many old 18th century houses, courts, piers
etc can be seen in and around the fish quays. During the 18th Century
when the banks started getting over crowded, buildings began to erect on the
plateau, which is sixty feet above the old town otherwise called Low town. The
new town built above is called High Town. The Upper and lower parts of the town
are linked by a series of steep stairs. These stairs still remain. If you
remember Laurel and Hardy, the Comedians, Stan Laurel lived in this High Town
during 1897-1902. His statue stands in the middle to commemorate his stay
there. It is beautiful, especially if you want to walk around, on a beautiful sunny
day.
This place also has a
fair that is open every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday from 8-4. They sell many
old, rustic antique goods, furniture, vintage crockery, crafts, and other
bric-a-bracs. I pick up few odd things from there every
now and then that could be used as a prop for the blog.
Today’s recipe is
something that I prepared using a fish we get locally called the sea bream. You can adapt the recipe using any fish
available. It’s a simple Kerala style fish fry, but to add crispiness, I gave
it a thin coating of sooji/semolina. You can also use rice powder or even plain flour instead.
Kerala Style Crispy Fish
Fry
Serves 3-4
Preparation: under 10 minutes
Cooking time: Less than 10 minutes
Ingredients:
350g, 1 large sea bream/tilapia or any
other fish cleaned
3 teaspoon kashmiri chilli powder
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
1 ½ tsp lime/lemon juice
½ - ¾ tsp salt or as required
1 tbsp water
1 tbsp semolina/rice flour
1-2 twigs of curry leaves
4-5 tbsp of coconut oil
Preparations:
1. Make 6-7 shallow gashes on the
cleaned and washed fish. Make a semi - thick paste of chilli powder, turmeric
powder, salt, lemon juice and water. Smear it all over the fish and let it sit
in the fridge for a minimum of an hour.
2. Just before frying, sprinkle the
semolina or rice powder on both sides of the fish. Gently press it down. Alternatively,
you can place the semolina or rice pwer and press the fish on them.
3. Heat oil in a non-stick frying pan.
When hot, throw in curry leaves. Immediately place the fish and cook on both
sides until crispy and cooked through, about 6-7 minutes on medium heat,
depending on the size of fish.
4. Drain on kitchen towel and serve
hot.
Notes:
1.To get rid of the foul fish smell,
wash the rub the fish all over with salt and lemon and leave it for few minutes
and wash it off.
2. Given here is the simplest of fish
fries. You can also add 1 teaspoon each of minced ginger and garlic along with
the paste for a different flavour.
3. Using sooji or rice or even flour
also prevents the fish from breaking off while frying or sticking to the pan.
So if you are using any soft fish, it is always better to give it a thin coat
of sooji/rice powder etc to prevent it from breaking off.
This post of mine also goes to the Kerala Kitchen Event created by Magpiesrecipes, being hosted by Jehanne of the cookingdoctor.
