Baked fish and chips with mushy peas
Baked Fish and Chips with Mushy Peas
A Healthy Version of a Kiwi Staple
Serves 4
Working with hot oil in the kitchen can be daunting, not to mention the hefty clean-up operation afterwards. But don’t worry, you can still enjoy piping hot fish and chips at home. Try this recipe for a light version of this Kiwi staple that requires no deep-frying.
We prefer using gurnard, but any white fish with medium flakes such as blue cod or ling works just as well. Serve with minty mushy peas to complement the crispiness of the baked fish and potato wedges.
Ingredients
Crispy potato wedges
  • 800g agria potatoes
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste
Baked fish fillets
  • Two 350g packs of Solander gurnard fillets
  • 150g panko breadcrumbs
  • 50g plain flour
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • pinch of salt
  • pinch of cracked pepper
Mushy peas
  • 500g frozen peas, defrosted
  • 1 large handful of mint, finely chopped
  • 2 tsp purewasabi paste
  • 1 to 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • squeeze of lemon juice
  • salt and pepper to taste
Method
Making the potato wedges
  1. Preheat the oven to 220ºC. Clean the potatoes and cut lengthways into 2cm wedges.
  2. Place wedges in a large bowl. Liberally season with salt and pepper, and combine. Then drizzle olive oil over the wedges and mix again.
  3. Spread the wedges out on a baking tray in a single layer..
  4. Bake for 40 minutes, but turn after 20 minutes so they cook through evenly.
Baking the fish fillets
  1. While the wedges are cooking, take three large plates with a slight rim, if possible, to prevent the ingredients spilling over.
  2. Spread the breadcrumbs on the first plate, the flour, salt and pepper on the second, and the beaten egg on the third.
  3. Take one of the fish fillets and turn in the flour to coat. Shake off any excess to keep the coating light. Next, coat the fillet in the egg and let any excess drip off. Lastly, turn in the breadcrumbs, shaking off any excess. Repeat this step for the rest of the fillets.
  4. Line the fillets up on a baking tray and bake at 200ºC for 15 minutes until golden.
Making the mushy peas
  1. Take a large heat-proof bowl and place a colander inside. Place the peas in the colander. Pour boiling water over the peas, letting the water collect in the bowl, and stand for two minutes. This quick blanching method helps the peas retain their fresh green colour.
  2. Take the colander out of the bowl (careful, it’s hot!) and leave the peas to drain.
  3. Transfer the peas to a medium bowl, add the rest of the ingredients for the mushy peas and mash well with a fork or potato masher.
  4. To assemble, dollop some pea mash on a plate. Carefully layer the fish and potato wedges on top. Finish with a squeeze of lemon juice.