If I was forced to choose, I’d say I’m a butter, cheese and pickles man. I love mine open and I tend to go for sourdough, even if that does induce eye-rolls from many. I’m talking, of course, about sandwiches, a subject on which everyone has wonderfully strong opinions. What bread to use? Cut it on the diagonal or straight down the middle? Is it OK for anyone over the age of seven to cut off the crusts? And that’s before you even start discussing what’s going inside. Slices of tomato: sublime or soggy? A handful of crisps: critical or criminal? A lettuce leaf or two: lovely or limp? Fish finger sandwiches: right or wrong? Such seemingly innocent questions, yet ones that incite such firm feelings. (My reply to that last question, incidentally, is revealed by today’s first recipe, which takes the concept, dials it up and feels pretty strongly about the presence of a soft white roll.)
Old Bay fish sandwich with cheat’s tartare sauce (pictured top)
I’ve no idea why, but I’ve been seeing those distinctive, yellow-and-blue tins of Old Bay Seasoning everywhere recently. This spice mix from Baltimore – “for seafood, poultry, salads, meats,” the label promises – comes in three varieties: original, hot, and lemon and herb. I tried this with all three before eventually settling on hot, so by all means use whichever you prefer or can get hold of. Alternatively, use a Cajun spice mix, or a combination of celery salt, cayenne pepper, garlic and onion granules, and smoked paprika.
Prep 10 min
Marinade 30 min
Cook 25 min
Serves 4
For the fish
300ml buttermilk, or kefir
1 tbsp hot Old Bay Seasoning
4 sustainably-sourced skinless hake (or cod) fillets, each weighing about 110g
750ml vegetable oil, for frying
For the tartare sauce
120g hot and sweet jalapeño relish, drained – I like Vadasz, or a mix of sweet pickled gherkins and chillies
120g mayonnaise
For the hot butter
80g unsalted butter
1 tsp hot Old Bay Seasoning
¾ tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp runny honey
1 tsp lemon juice
For the coating
150g plain flour
80g cornflour
2 tsp hot Old Bay Seasoning
To serve
Butterhead lettuce
4 soft rolls, cut in half
Mix the buttermilk and seasoning in a bowl, add the fish, turn to coat in the marinade, then set aside for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the tartare sauce. Put the drained relish in a bowl with the mayonnaise and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
Now for the hot butter. Put the butter, Old Bay Seasoning and paprika in a small saucepan on a medium heat and cook gently, stirring occasionally, for three or four minutes, until the butter has melted and smells fragrant. Stir in the honey, then take off the heat.
In a high-sided tray, mix all the ingredients for the coating. Working with one piece of fish at a time, lift the fillets out of the marinade, dredge in the flour mix, return to the marinade, then coat in the flour mix a second time.
Put the oil in a medium saute pan on a medium-high heat. Once it’s hot, lay in two of the coated fish fillets and fry for four or five minutes on each side, until golden. Lift out and drain on kitchen paper, transfer to a rack in a low oven to keep warm and repeat with the remaining two fillets.
Gently reheat the butter on a medium heat for two minutes, take off the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Meanwhile, generously spoon tartare sauce over both cut sides of each bun, lay two lettuce leaves on top of each base and top with a piece of hot fish. Spoon the hot butter generously over the fish, top with the other bun half and serve at once.
Broad bean burgers with herb soured cream
These can be put together up to a day ahead, then kept in the fridge, ready for frying. They also work with your favourite hot sauce or ketchup.
Prep 20 min
Cook 25 min
Serves 4
350g floury potatoes (maris piper, say), peeled and diced
Sea salt and black pepper
350g shelled broad beans, or edamame or peas (defrosted if frozen)
¾ tsp cumin seeds, toasted and lightly ground
¾ tsp coriander seeds, toasted and lightly ground
80g baby spinach, washed, wilted in a dry pan and finely chopped
3 tbsp olive oil
1 mild chilli, stalk, seeds and pith discarded, flesh finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
30g fresh coriander, chopped
45g chives, finely chopped
1 egg, beaten
80g panko breadcrumbs
180g soured cream
½ lemon, juiced to get 1 tbsp, the rest cut into wedges
120ml sunflower oil, for frying
4 soft buns, to serve
Boil the potatoes in well-salted water for 13 minutes, until tender, then drain and leave to cool. Put the broad beans in a bowl and mash coarsely with a fork. Add the cooked potatoes, half the ground cumin and coriander, the spinach, two tablespoons of olive oil, the chilli, garlic, half the fresh coriander, 30g of the chives, the egg and half of the breadcrumbs. Mash and mix it all until the potatoes are roughly broken down, then shape into 110g patties. Coat the patties in the remaining 40g breadcrumbs, then chill for 30 minutes to firm up.
Meanwhile, make the soured cream. Put the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, the remaining ground spices and the remaining 15g each of fresh coriander and chives in a bowl, then stir in the soured cream, lemon juice, a quarter-teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper.
Put the sunflower oil in a large frying pan on a medium-high heat. Once it’s good and hot, fry the patties in two batches for two to three minutes on each side, until deeply golden. Drain on kitchen paper, then serve in soft rolls topped with a sprinkling of flaky sea salt and with the soured cream and lemon wedges on the side.
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