We are always being advised to eat more oily fish, and with good reason. The healthy fats they contain (EPA and DHA) are in very few other foods and are important for your brain at every stage of life. But even the word 'oily' can be off-putting and there is the assumption that cooking fish can be fiddly, messy and might stink the house out. All in all, we'd rather someone else cooked it for us!
There are many great things about this recipe - it's simple, uses inexpensive, delicious and healthy mackerel fillets, and goes well with just about anything, though you may want to use the sauce as a basis for some wok-fried noodles and greens. The oiliness of the fish is cut through by the spices too - you will feel like you are on holiday!
To serve 2-3 people, you will need:
4 mackerel fillets, or 2 whole fresh fish
1 tbsp Thai Red Curry paste
a splash of fish sauce
2 tbsp coconut milk
a large pinch of sugar or Xylitol
a grind each of black pepper and sea salt
1 - 2 fresh limes
1 nest of egg noodles
1 large clove of garlic. finely sliced
2 - 3 handfuls of green veggies
a dash each of sesame oil and soy sauce
1 red chilli finely sliced
Method:
Combine the paste with the coconut milk, fish sauce, sugar and S&P. Gently blend to a smooth consistency, adding more coconut milk if necessary.
Rinse and pat dry the fish fillets, then coat generously in the paste mixture.
Lay out on a baking tray and then grill under a medium grill for a few minutes on each side, turning once or twice.
Drop a nest of egg noodles into a pan of boiling water and cook for 5 minutes or according to the pack instructions. Refresh under cold water.
Heat some ground nut or other flavourless oil in a wok or frying pan. Gently fry the garlic slices and add the greens. Stir fry for a few minutes before adding the noodles, sesame oil,. soy and fish sauces. Garnish with the fresh chilli and serve with the fish. Delish x