Karen Martini’s simple crumbed fillets beats the flake out of takeaway fish and chips

Name: Karen Martini’s simple crumbed fillets beats the flake out of takeaway fish and chips
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Ingredients: 4 x 130g flake fillets; 150g plain flour; 2 eggs, whisked; 3 cups fine (or fresh) breadcrumbs; oil for shallow frying; 1 lemon

Karen Martini

September 8, 2023

Roasting tomatoes intensifies the flavour, which pairs perfectly with the black barley.William Meppem

Time:1-2 hoursServes:4

It’s no secret that tomatoes aren’t at their best in the cooler months, but sometimes you still want the flavour that comes from a fresh tomato rather than
a tinned one. You can get decent hothouse tomatoes, but make sure they’re fully ripe. Roasting them like this really intensifies the flavour, which is stunning with the black barley. If you like, you can skip the fish and serve the salad with crumbled feta on top, or pair it with grilled lamb chops or roast chicken. It’s also great served cold the next day.

Ingredients

4 x 130g flake fillets
150g plain flour
2 eggs, whisked
3 cups fine (or fresh) breadcrumbs
oil for shallow frying
1 lemon

For the tomato and black barley salad

10 Roma tomatoes
6 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
5 thyme sprigs
salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper
extra virgin olive oil
200g black barley
1 fresh bay leaf
3 garlic cloves, finely grated
3 tsp cumin seeds, ground
2 tsp ground Aleppo pepper
60ml sherry vinegar or white wine vinegar
6 tarragon sprigs
2 handfuls of mint leaves
2 handfuls of flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 white salad onion, sliced finely into rings

Method

Step 1
Preheat your oven to 170C fan-forced (190C conventional).
Step 2
Place the tomatoes in a roasting dish so they fit snugly. Tuck the smashed garlic and thyme between the tomatoes and season well with salt and pepper. Drizzle generously with olive oil, then roast for 90 minutes.
Step 3
Once the skins have coloured and blistered and the tomatoes are collapsing, pull off the skins, but don’t be too fussy. Allow the tomatoes to cool a little, then break them up using your hands or a spoon.
Step 4
Meanwhile, simmer the barley with the bay leaf in lightly salted water until tender (about 25-30 minutes). Drain and keep warm in the pan.
Step 5
Add a splash of oil and the grated garlic to a wide saucepan over medium heat. Cook for about 1 minute until fragrant and turning golden. Add the tomato, along with all the juices. Add the cumin and Aleppo pepper, and stir to combine. Cook for about 10 minutes to reduce and intensify in flavour, then take off the heat and add the vinegar. Stir in the barley and place back over heat to simmer for 2 minutes. Adjust the seasoning to taste, then set aside to cool slightly before adding the herbs and onion.
Step 6
Dredge the flake in flour, then egg, and coat in the crumbs. Chill if not cooking immediately.
Step 7
Heat about 3cm of oil in a large, deep frying pan over medium-high heat. Heat for about 3 minutes, then shallow-fry the fish for 3 minutes on one side, then about 2 minutes on the other, until golden. Lift out and drain on a paper towel.
Step 8
8. Squeeze some lemon juice over the fish, season with salt and serve with the barley salad.