Californian Grilled Fish with Coriander and Lime Tartare sauce

This recipe is really lovely and even people who claim not to be too keen on fish seem to love it – you can use any type of white fish – I like to use hake as it is plentiful here and what I would call unfishy in taste.  It is from my Delia Smith summer collection.

When I cooked it for my friend Annie Hibbert, she said ‘this is River Café standard, only it hasn’t cost me 50 quid!’.  So thank you Delia and Annie!

The recipe is in two parts – I make the mayonnaise first and forget about it until later otherwise it is all a bit last minute preparation for my taste – I like to be organised and not have too much to do at the end – that way you don’t get flustered when cooking for 6 or 8 people.

Anyhow, first the mayonnaise.  You do need a food processor for this – I can’t see how else you can do it , but if pushed you could use Hellmann’s and then add the rest of the ingredients to it – it would still work (obviously leave out the egg and the oil!).

1 large egg

6 fl oz of light olive oil

1 small clove garlic, peeled

1 dessertspoon fresh lime juice

1 heaped tablespoon small capers, drained

3 or 4 small gherkins chopped

1 tablespoon fresh coriander

Half teaspoon mustard powder

Half teaspoon salt

Black pepper

Break the egg into the bowl of the processor and add the salt, pepper, garlic and mustard.  Switch on the machine and through the top very slowly pour the oil – it must be a slow steady trickle.  Once the oil is all in, you will get a mayonnaise type sauce – add the rest of the ingredients and check the seasoning.  Put in a jar in the fridge till you are ready (you probably won’t use it all up in this dish, so make a Caesar salad the next day as I am doing today).  It will keep for a week anyway.

For the Fish

Two or more fillets – actually if you double the quantities, it will be sufficient topping for 6 fillets).

Two tablespoons of your mayonnaise as above

Grated zest of a lime

3 tablespoons of grated cheddar cheese

Two tablespoons of white or brown breadcrumbs

1 dessertspoon chopped coriander

Pinch of cayenne pepper – don’t go too mad or it will mask all the other flavours

Butter

Salt and pepper

Line a baking tray with foil and butter it.

Pre-heat the grill to its highest setting

Once you are ready to prepare your fish, (and I recommend you buy fillets ready done so it is dead simple once you come to make the dish) dry off the fillets (you can make as many as you like – this recipe is for two/three people).

Spread the fillets with the mayonnaise

Mix all your ingredients together apart from the butter and then sprinkle all over the fish – the mayonnaise will hold it on – don’t worry if some of it falls off, it does not need to be perfect! Dot each one with a little butter.  Now place on the bottom of your oven, as far away from the grill as possible for 10 minutes or so, or until the breadcrumbs are golden.  Do keep an eye on it though, and if your grill is separate from your oven, it will need only 5 or 6 minutes at a slightly lower setting.  You can serve this with pretty much anything – vegetables or a green salad, new potatoes or little sautéed ones.