Fish fillets braised in tartar sauce
Last week, I cooked another batch of fish ‘n’ chips and I made more tartar sauce than we could consume. I kept it in the fridge thinking it would save me from making more tartar sauce when I cooked fish ‘n’ chips again.
Earlier today, I thawed a tray of lamb chops not knowing there were only four chops inside the package. Not enough for everyone if the ratio was one chop per person. Sometimes, that’s not even enough. When people are very, very hungry, it’s usually one-and-a-half chops per person. Not enough time to thaw a second tray of lamb chops. But fish fillets thaw so much faster.
The problem was I didn’t want to cook anything complicated anymore. I already baked earlier in the day (a second attempt at baking Japanese cheese cake using a baine marie this time), I made yakisoba for lunch, mashed potatoes to go with the lamb chops, and I made a pot of miso soup too using a rather unusual recipe found in a new Japanese cookbook. So, when I decided I’d cook the fish fillets in addition to the lamb chops, I promised myself it would have to be something simple.
I opened the fridge looking for the jar of homemade pesto so I could braise the fish in pesto. You know, like the talakitok steaks in pesto that a number of readers have already tried and loved. But my hand touched the container of tartar sauce before it hit the jar of pesto. And I figured I ought to use the tartar sauce first because it was made days ahead of the pesto and, in a few more days, it might spoil. Avoid food wastage is a motto I take seriously these days. With the prices soaring, it’s a practical policy to live by.
Instead of braising the fish fillets in pesto, I braised them in tartar sauce. What do you know? It was delicious. Darn, it was good. Of course I knew that fried fish dipped in tartar sauce was good but braising uncooked whole fillets in tartar sauce? The slow cooking allowed the fish to absorb all the flavors in the sauce — that wonderful creamy mixture of garlicky, onion-y, mustard-y and lemon-y goodness. I doubt if the fish would have been as flavorful had I steamed the fillets then simply poured the tartar sauce over them.
So, if you have some extra tartar sauce lying around, here’s a way to use it with an unusual twist. Or, you can always make tartar sauce so you can braise your fish fillets in it.
Serves 2 to 3.
Ingredients :
2 fish fillets, about 500 grams total weight
a cup of tartar sauce
2 tbsps. of butter
salt
pepper
Pat the fish fillets dry with a kitchen towel. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
Heat the butter in a non-stick pan. Lightly fry both sides of the fish fillets. Pour in the tartar sauce. Thin with a little water if your sauce is rather thick. It’ll thin down though as it gets hot. So, whether or not to add some water is something I’ll leave for you to decide. Lower the heat, cover and simmer for 7 to 10 minutes. And that’s it! Garnish the fish with some fresh greens and serve.
Don’t have tartar sauce in the deep recesses of your fridge? It’s easy to make your own. The ingredients are staples in most kitchens.
Home made tartar sauce
1/2 c. of mayonnaise
2 to 3 tbsps. of milk
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
1/2 tsp. of Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. of finely grated garlic
1/2 tsp. of finely sliced onion leaves
juice of a quarter of a lemon
Mix everything together and you have your tartar sauce.
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yummy! thanks for the recipe!
Sunday again and screen sucking again. Your foodsite is such a comfort, especially when I see you highlighting foods I also have a liking for (fish fillets, tofu, pork hocks). The bonus is it’s non-fattening. Next week, when I finally get a free Sunday, I’ll try your Fish Fillet in Tartar Sauce. Cheers!