By: Sherri Dymond

I used to eat at this late night diner on Queen Street in Toronto after gigs or too many drinks at various clubs. It had all the charms a late night diner open at 3am still serving food could have: dim lights, loud rock and roll, big booths to cram into (or pass out in). It was a delightful shit hole. I always ordered the chicken fried steak. It seemed sacrilege to order a steak that would then be deep fried, but it was a little bit of crispy heaven with every bite. I have been living in the UK for almost a decade now and often crave the culinary comforts of my North American youth, albeit some absolutely atrocious (cheese whiz).

I am currently iso-dating with a new romantic partner. We are playing house in a time of uncertainty that needs to be soothed with a combination of comforting dishes, fresh vegetables, carbs, chocolate-iced cakes and plenty of hugs. My boyfriend had no idea what I was talking about when I said ‘chicken fried fish’ but was very into the idea of crusting the fillets with bashed ready salted crisps (chips to us North Amercians). So this crispy little number was created with the addition of crunchy green veg, fish sauce and toasted sesame seeds.

Serves 2

For the fish:

2 fillets of sustainable white fish, pinboned
1 tablespoon flour seasoned with salt and pepper
100 mls milk (beer or water would be fine as well)
40 grams ready salted crisps, crushed
100 ml neutral oil

For the Tenderstem Broccoli:

200 grams tenderstem broccoli (any broccoli or bok choy would work)
1 clove garlic, grated
Small nub of grated ginger
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted
Juice of half a lime
1 teaspoon neutral oil

Method:

Bring a pan of water to the boil with a good pinch of sea salt. Add tenderstem and gently boil for
3 minutes, drain and rinse under cold water. Reserve the pan. Meanwhile, put a heavy
bottomed frying pan on medium heat and toast sesame seeds until lightly toasted, put on a
plate.

Pat the fillets dry and then place flesh side down into seasoned flour. Leave the skin side bare
for lovely, crispy skin. Carefully place the skin side of the fillet into the milk, then gently press
into the crushed crisps. Then again into the milk and once more gently pressing into the crisps.
Put the frying pan back on the heat and add oil. Bring oil up to temperature (190C/375F) and
check the temp by adding a crisp crumb, if it starts sizzling away, carefully place your prepared
fish skin side down into the oil. Fry for 4 minutes, then gently flip over. Fry for another 4
minutes. Drain the fillets gently on a paper towel.

While the fish is frying, put the saucepan back on medium heat and add a teaspoon of oil. Add
the garlic and ginger and fry for 1 minute. Add fish sauce and soy sauce, cook for 30 seconds.
Add the tenderstem broccoli to the pan, toss to heat through and take off heat.
Put the fish on a plate, pile on the tenderstem broccoli, sprinkle on the toasted sesame seeds
and a good squeeze of lime juice.

@sherri.dymond

Chicken Fried Fish, Nam Pla Tenderstem Broccoli