Fish 'n' Chips

I haven't cooked for so long, and really miss it. I have been really busy with school stuff since it was the end of the semester. Lots of lab notebooks due, have to study for lab final and written final, paperwork needs to be done for graduation, preparing for the seminar class before taking the state board exam.... etc. Not to mention that I still have a wedding to plan, which is coming up in 2 1/2 month! I am stressed just thinking about all those things. But somehow cooking relaxes me. I really wanted to cook, but didn't have that much time. So I found a Rachael Ray's 30 minutes Fish 'n' Chips recipe.  Perfect!


Fish 'n' Chips

Here is the recipe with my modification:


Ingredients:
* 1 1/2 pounds boiling or yellow-fleshed potatoes, cut into wedges  (I used your regular everyday Idaho potatoes)
* 1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), plus more for drizzling
* 6 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
* 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves  (I used dried thyme and basil)
* Salt and pepper
* 1/2 cup cornmeal
* 1/4 cup flour
* 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese  (We had those Parmesan cheese packets leftover from pizza delivery the other day)
* Juice and grated peel of 1 lemon
* Four 6- to 8-ounce red snapper fillets  (Didn't find red snapper, so I bought sole.  I didn't know it came with bones.... mistake)
* 4 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
* 1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley (a generous handful)  (I used cilantro because we both love cilantro)
* 4 scallions, finely chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 500°. Place the potatoes on a baking sheet and toss with 3 tablespoons EVOO, the garlic, the rosemary and salt and pepper to taste. Roast until the potatoes are tender and golden at the edges, 20 to 25 minutes.

2. While the potatoes are working, in a large skillet, heat the remaining 1/4 cup EVOO, 4 turns of the pan, over medium-high heat. Combine the cornmeal, flour, cheese and lemon peel on a plate. Season the snapper with salt and pepper, then coat evenly with the cornmeal mixture. Fry in the skillet, turning once, until golden brown, about 7 minutes total.

3. In a medium bowl, toss together the tomatoes, parsley, scallions, lemon juice and a drizzle of EVOO; season with salt and pepper.

4. Top the fish with the sauce and serve the potatoes alongside.

This dish consisted of 3 components, fish, salsa, and potatoes.  I made a mistake by getting sole filet, which came with bones.  The flesh of the fish was really good, but it was so much trouble picking out the little bones around the edge of the filet.  This dish would be much better if I get the right kind of filet.  The salsa was so easy to make.  It was perfect to pair with the fish.  We ate some of the leftover salsa with tortilla chips, and the rest I cooked it in a omelet the next morning.  Delicious!  And the potatoes, THE potatoes, was soooooooooo good.  It was super easy to make.  Just peel the potatoes, cut into wedges, pop them in the oven, and forget about it.  Our apartment smelt so good with all that garlicky aroma.  The thinner pieces turned out to be crispy, and the thicker pieces were fluffy soft.  I would make this potato dishes just by itself all the time now.  I used to buy those frozen potato wedges.  Now I know how easy it is to make (and much cheaper, too), I would never buy frozen ones again.

Dr. P likes the Fish 'n' Chips.  I like the salsa and potatoes more than the bony fish though.  I need to buy the right kind of fish, and give this recipe another try!

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