Jamie's Dinners: Parmesan Fish Fillets with Avocado and Cress Salad
Jamie's Dinners has a chapter called "Five Minute Wonders." These are super-quick dinner ideas that can be pulled together in a flash.
Oliver says that he timed himself making these recipes, and some of them took only 3 minutes! My results weren't nearly that speedy, but this fish and salad meal took me only 15 minutes to prepare, start to finish. And it was delicious!
I'll be testing several more of the "Five Minute Wonders" to see how quickly I can make them. I'm confident that they'll all taste dandy.
Oliver calls for "white fish fillets," so use whatever looks freshest at the market. Cod, halibut, perch, or orange roughy would all be good choices.
The cress that's pictured in the book looks a whole lot more delicate than the watercress that was available at my grocery store. I simply chopped the leaves off the top of the bunch, leaving the stems behind. If you've got tender mustard or watercress available, you could use the entire bunch, but if not, be sure to cut off the tough stems.
A note on yield: all of the "Five Minute Wonder" dishes are single servings. If you're going to make these dishes for more than just yourself, the ingredients can easily be doubled or quadrupled. Preparation and cooking times may be slightly longer.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Yield: 1 serving
6 oz. white fish fillets (remove skin, if necessary)
1 egg, beaten
2 oz. grated Parmesan cheese (about 1/3 cup)
Olive oil
1/2 of a fresh red chili, seeded and finely chopped (if not available, use serrano or other small chili, or leave it out altogether if you like)
1 small ripe avocado, peeled and sliced lengthwise
1 bunch of watercress or mustard cress, stems removed if tough (see note, above), rinsed and shaken dry
1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
Get a nonstick frying pan really hot. Dust the fish fillets with the seasoned flour, shaking off excess. Dip the fillets into the beaten egg, then press into the grated Parmesan, coating nicely. Add a little olive oil to the hot pan, then fry the fish fillets until golden, about 2 minutes on each side. Throw in the chilis, if using. Mix together the avocado and cress with the extra-virgin olive oil and the lemon juice. Serve the salad alongside the fish.