Beginners recipe #1 Fish with Tomato Salad and Garlic Mash

PLEASE NOTE - This is a step-by-step cooking class meal for people who say they can't cook. Established cooks may ignore this one. (Unless you want to peek anyway!)

Battered fish with tomato salad and garlic mash

A simple fish dinner for two. Fish is an essential part of the diet, and this is a good mild way to include it.

FISH

2 good sized fish fillets. (I used flathead; whiting would be good too.)

1/2 cup beer (and drink the rest!)

1/2 cup plain flour

1/2 cup ice cubes

TOMATO SALAD

2 medium ripe tomatoes

1 red onion, chopped finely

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon lime juice

salt and pepper to taste*

GARLIC MASH

2 decent sized potatoes

2 peeled cloves garlic.

2 teaspoons salt*

Method.

• First assemble the fish batter. Combine the beer, flour and ice in a bowl and allow to sit. The ice will melt in time!
• Then put the potatoes on. Cover peeled and cut up potatoes with water, throw the garlic in whole and bring to the boil. Turn it down to a fast simmer. Set a timer for 18 minutes.
• Cut the tomatoes into chunks. Smash a little with the back of a fork and mix in remaining ingredients in serving bowl. Pop into the fridge.
• Coat fish fillets with flour, shaking off excess.
• When your timer says 2 - 3 minutes to go, place canola or other vegetable oil in a deep frypan. (about 2cm deep is good) and heat - medium heat at this stage because you are now multi-tasking!
• By now, your timer has gone off, yes? Drain and mash the potatoes and garlic, adding a good dollop of butter and a decent splash of milk, salt and pepper. Replace lid on the pan and put in a warm spot.
• Turn up the heat under the oil. When a drop of batter sizzles instantly, dip your fillets into the batter and coat well. Place in the oil and cook for about 6 minutes, turning once.

That's it. Drain the fish briefly on paper towel, Put the mashed potato on the plates, partly top with the fish and serve the tomato salad separately. Yum.! Something green as a garnish will make this meal more appealing to the eye of your dining partner - think parsley or chives......