Pan Fried Fish with Tomato and Bean Freekeh Salad
Serves: 2
Time: 15 minutes
We had freekeh on the menu last night and to save a little time in the kitchen today, I cooked up extra last night to have with tonight’s dinner. Did you do this also? Fresh fish is such a delicious light meal to have and by now I am hoping that you have picked up on my cooking techniques for fish so this could almost be a dinner that you could freestyle your way through. If not, there are a few key elements that I always do that works with almost all fish - once you learn these you’ll be cooking fish like a pro.
Leftovers
Top up the remainder of the salad with some boiled eggs and some tinned tuna. Yumbo!
What you'll need
2 pieces white fish approx 4-500g
1 packet red cherry tomatoes
1 packet orange cherry tomatoes
200g green beans
1 bunch asparagus
1 cup freekeh
1/2 bunch of flat leaf parsley
1 lemon
From the Pantry
olive oil
sea salt flakes
cracked pepper
1 large tablespoon butter
Optional Extras for Lunch
tinned fish or boiled eggs or both
Prep and Cook
Cook Freekeh
If you didn’t already do this last night, you will have a bit of downtime before you need to cook the fish.
Place one cup of freekeh in a pot with 3 cups of cold water and a pinch of salt.
Bring up to the boil then turn down to a simmer and simmer gently with a lid on until all the liquid has gone.
Set aside with the lid still on.
Prep Salad
Put a medium sized pot of water on to boil with a pinch of salt.
Cut the woody tips off your beans and cut the woody ends of the asparagus, then slice the asparagus in half on an angle.
Fill a bowl with cold water and some ice.
Once the pot is boiling drop both the beans and the asparagus into the water for 30 seconds or more (just long enough for them to turn a deeper green).
Strain and drop into the ice cold water.
Remove from the water once all the heat has gone.
Slice tomatoes in half.
Pick parsley off the stalks and roughly chop.
Combine everything in a bowl along with the freekeh.
Quick Tip
If your fish looks a bit wet it's a good idea to pat it dry with a paper towel before you add to the pan. Never put fish into a cold frypan, and if your fish doesn't want to pull cleanly away from the pan when you are ready to flip it you are best to leave it for a little longer so that it will, otherwise you will tear the fish and end up with half of it stuck to your pan.
Cook Fish
Heat a large non-stick frypan on medium to high heat with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
Lightly season both sides of your fish.
Once the pan is hot, gently lay both pieces away from you and gently apply some pressure to each with your hands to keep the fish flat.
Cook for 3 minutes.
Flip each piece of fish and press both down into the pan so that they don’t curl up.
Add 1 tablespoon of butter and squeeze over the juice of half a lemon.
Use a dessert spoon to baste the juices over the fish repetitively for a good 30 seconds then remove from the heat.
Plate it Pretty
Drizzle a touch of olive oil over the salad and squeeze over the rest of the lemon, season well with salt and pepper and toss all together.
Portion onto individual plates and top with a piece of fish; you can also spoon any of the leftover pan juices onto the fish, it will give it that nutty buttery look but I quite like this rustic style.
Enjoy!
Lunch tomorrow
Bulk up the remainder of the salad with some boiled eggs and tinned tuna. Soft boil 4 minutes.