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Curried Fish

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Makes 4 servings 1x

Time 45 minutes

Units Scale

Ingredients

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 pounds sturdy, thick fish fillets or steaks, skinned if you’d like and cut into 2-inch chunks
  • Salt and pepper
  • 3 tablespoons good-quality vegetable oil, plus more as needed
  • 1 large onion, halved and sliced
  • 2 tablespoons curry powder or garam masala
  • 1 1/2 cups coconut milk (to make your own, see here)
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • Chopped fresh cilantro for garnish
  • Chopped pistachios for garnish

Instructions

  1. Put the flour in a shallow bowl. Sprinkle the fish with salt and pepper and toss it in the flour until lightly coated.
  2. Put the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When it’s hot (a pinch of flour will sizzle), shake the excess flour from several pieces of fish and add them to the pan. Work in batches to avoid crowding, and adjust the heat so the fish sizzles. Cook, turning as necessary to brown the fish on all sides, 3 to 5 minutes total. As the pieces finish, transfer them to a plate with a slotted spoon. Repeat with the remaining fish, adding more oil if needed.
  3. Spoon off all but 1 tablespoon of the oil and lower the heat to medium. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until it’s soft and brown in places, about 10 minutes. Stir in the curry powder, sprinkle with a bit more salt and pepper, and cook, stirring constantly until fragrant, about a minute.
  4. Add the coconut milk and 1/2 cup water to the skillet and adjust the heat so the sauce bubbles steadily. Cook, stirring once or twice, until it thickens, about 3 minutes. Return the fish to the skillet and cook, stirring gently to coat the pieces in the sauce, until the fish is opaque at the center, 3 to 5 minutes; test with a thin-bladed knife. Add the lemon juice, taste, and adjust the seasoning. Garnish with the cilantro and nuts, and serve.

– Recipe from How to Cook Everything: Completely Revised Twentieth Anniversary Edition

Recipe variations

Thai-Style Red or Green Curried Fish
Substitute 1/4 cup red or green curry paste for the curry powder. Use 6 to 8 scallions instead of the onion. Substitute 2 tablespoons fish sauce for the lemon juice. Proceed with the recipe, garnishing with a combination of mint and basil (preferably Thai basil) and peanuts instead of the cilantro and pistachios. Serve with lime wedges.

Fish with Creamy Herb Sauce
Use butter instead of the oil; omit the curry powder, onion, and coconut milk. Before beginning, purée 1 cup mixed mild herbs— like dill, chives, chervil, parsley, or mint—with 1 cup white wine and 1 cup cream. Proceed with the recipe, simmering the herb sauce for a few minutes in Step 4 before returning the fish to the pan.