Herb-crusted cod

For ➍

4 cod fillets (180 g each)

20 cherry tomatoes (preferably with a sprig)

1 garlic clove

2 tbsp parsley

2 tbsp dill (chopped)

1 tbs capers

3 tbs panko

olive oil

butter

pepper

fleur de sel

800 g potatoes (boiling)

½ lemon zest

80 ml buttermilk (unsweetened)

30 g butter

salt

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).

Peel and crush the garlic. Mix it with the herbs. Finely chop the capers and add them. Add 3 tbsp olive oil and stir. Season with salt, pepper, and the panko and mix until crumbly.

Rinse the cod fillets and pat dry. Cover them with the crumble. Butter a baking dish and place the fish in it.

Rinse the tomatoes and add them to the fish. Drizzle with olive oil and season with pepper and fleur de sel. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

Boil the potatoes in salted water until tender. Mash them through a food processor. Add the lemon zest, buttermilk, and butter. Stir with a wooden spoon until a creamy, smooth purée is formed. Add more buttermilk if you prefer the purée a little thinner. Season the purée with a little salt.

Korokke (Japanese meat croquette)

For ➍
vegetable oil
½ onion, finely chopped
150 g mixed minced beef (beef/pork)
2 tbs soy sauce
2 tbs sugar
500 g potatoes
5 cl full cream
salt
flour
some eggs, knocked loose
panko

Heat a dash of oil in a pan, fry the onion and fry the minced meat in a few m until golden brown. Add soy sauce and sugar and cook on a low heat. Stir frequently. Turn off the heat as soon as the cooking liquid has completely disappeared.
Boil the potatoes and puree them. Add the cream and minced meat. Mix well and season with salt.
Make croquettes in a shape as desired.
Place 3 dishes with flour, eggs and panko on the worktop. Roll each croquette first through the flour, then through the eggs and finally through the panko.
Heat the frying oil at 170°C and fry the croquettes golden brown.
Drain the croquettes on kitchen paper and serve immediately (with rice and a green vegetable salad).

Fish burgers with fennel & quinoa salad

For ➍
600 g pollack (or white seasonal fish, skinned)
3 scallions
1/2 red chilli
a few sprigs of coriander
1/2 lime or lemon
1 egg
60 g breadcrumbs (or panko)
4 tbs flour
dash bland cooking oil (eg. canola or peanut oil)
salt
quinoa & fennel salad
yogurt vinaigrette

Cut the fish into bite-size pieces. Mash in the food processor.
Separate the egg and add the egg whites, along with a splash of lime or lemon juice. Grind everything fine into a chunky puree.
Spoon the ground fish in a mixing bowl.
Clean the scallions and cut them into thin rounds. Cut the red chilli in tiny pieces, chop the coriander leaves and mix everything with the fish, with a pinch of salt.
Sprinkle ground breadcrumbs (or coarser panko) in a bowl.
Rinse your hands clean and dusted with a little flour.
Knead servings of fish mixture into equal patties (150 g a piece). Roll in the breadcrumbs and press gently.
Heat a splash of oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Fry the fish burgers patiently. Give them time to yarn to the core, without burning the outside.
Pour the quinoa & fennel salad. Spoon some of the yogurt vinaigrette over the fruity green and serve the remaining sauce in a separate container.
Place the freshly fried fish burgers on top and garnish the dish with coriander. Serve immediately.

Ebi furai (Japanese deep fried shrimps)

For ➍-➏
12 large shrimps, deveined
100 g panko breadcrumbs
25 g flour
1 egg, beaten
oil for deep frying
shredded cabbage *

Remove heads and shells from shrimp without removing tails.

Make a few incisions on the stomach side of shrimp and lightly press the back of shrimp to straighten.

Cut the edge of shrimp tails and remove dirt using a knife.

Dry shrimp on paper towels.

Dust shrimp in flour lightly.

Dip the shrimp in egg.

Coat the shrimp with panko.

Heat oil for deep frying in a deep pan to about 170°C.

Fry breaded shrimp until brown and drain.

Place ebi furai and shredded cabbage or your favorite vegetables on plates and top with tartar sauce (or Worcester sauce, Hoisin seafood sauce, lemon juice... ) just before eating.

*Optional.

Panko is a variety of flaky bread crumb used in Japanese cuisine as a crunchy coating for fried foods such as tonkatsu. Panko is made from bread electrically baked without crusts, and it has a crisper, airier texture than most types of breading found in Western cuisine. It is thought that ebi furai was created around 1900 in response to the growing popularity of similar dishes such as tonkatsu and minced meat cutlets in the Western food restaurants of Ginza and Tokyo.