serves
4
prep
5 minutes
cook
5 minutes
difficulty
Easy
serves
4
people
preparation
5
minutes
cooking
5
minutes
difficulty
Easy
level
Stream free On Demand
Fish
Watch The Full Episode Here
G
Watch The Full Episode Here
G
Ingredients
- 500 ml buttermilk
- 2 fillets deep sea bream, halved longways
- 1 cup (150 g) plain flour
- salt
- vegetable oil, for frying 8 slices soft white bread, crusts cut off
- ½ iceberg lettuce, shredded
Quick pickled onion
- 2 red onions, sliced
- 1 tbsp whole black peppercorns or Sichuan peppercorns
- 4 sprigs thyme or rosemary
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 ½ cups apple cider vinegar
- 3 tbsp salt
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp chilli flakes
Hot oil sauce
- ¾ cup light olive oil
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp pepper
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
Quick tartare sauce
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp pickle relish
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp ground mustard seeds, or Keen's mustard powder
Marinating time: 30 minutes
Instructions
- Pour the buttermilk into a large bowl. Add the fish fillets and gently push to submerge in the buttermilk. Allow to sit for 15-30 minutes before using.
- Meanwhile, make the pickled onions by combining the red onion, peppercorns and herbs in a large jar. Combine the water and apple cider vinegar in a medium saucepan and bring to the boil over high heat. Add the salt, honey and chilli flakes and cook for a further 3 minutes, then remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly. Pour the brine into the jar, allow to sit for 20 minutes before using.
- To make the hot oil sauce, in a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Whisk in the sugar, cayenne pepper, paprika, pepper and garlic powder. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- For the tartare sauce, combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and mix well. Set aside.
- In a large saucepan, fill with vegetable oil so the fish can cook in 6-8cm of oil. Place on medium heat.
- Remove the fish from the buttermilk and drain over a wire rack placed over a baking tray lined with paper towel, to allow the excess buttermilk to drip off.
- Combine the flour and a generous pinch of salt to a large bowl. Pat the fish fillets lightly with paper towel, then dredge them in the flour. Double coat the fillets in flour if you want an extra thick coating.
- Deep fry the fish for 5 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through. Remove the fillets to a plate and immediately spoon over the hot oil sauce on both sides of the fish. Halve the fillets.
- Layer the bread slices with lettuce, tartare sauce, fried fish, pickled onion, then top with a second slice of bread.
Photography by Kitti Gould.
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Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
Stream free On Demand
Fish