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.

Fennel & quinoa salad

For ➍
250 quinoa (poss. mixed quinoa)
2 volumes vegetable or chicken stock
½ fennel
½ endive (green=andijvie)
2 pink grapefruit
500 g ice cubes
yogurt vinaigrette

Heat a portion of vegetable or chicken stock (or water) to cook the quinoa.
Put the quinoa in a pot. Add twice the volume of heated stock. Boil the grains 15 m. Pour the quinoa in a strainer. Cool under running cold water.
Fill a bowl with water and ice cubes. Shave very thin slices of fennel with the mandolin. Put them in the ice water for the fennel to stay crispy.
Tear the leaves of the endive and rinse in plenty of water. Tear the leaves into bite-sized pieces. Or roll a few leaves on a cigar and then cut into fine strips. Add the ice-cooled and drained fennel slices.
Cut top and bottom of a slice of grapefruit. Remove outer skin and cut the grapefruit in wedges.
Spoon the grapefruit slices in the dish with salad.
Squeeze juice out of the rest of the grapefruit and use it for the vinaigrette.
Add the vinaigrette.
Serve with fried fish or grilled chicken or fish burgers.

Grilled halloumi & quinoa salad

For ➋ (as main dish) or ➍ (as side dish)
2 ts red wine vinegar
½ ts sugar
1 small clove garlic, chopped
⅛ ts red pepper flakes
kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
1 Persian cucumber or ½ regular cucumber, peeled & diced
1 scallion, chopped
100 g quinoa, rinsed & drained
20 cl water
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
½ lemon
4 tbs chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tbs chopped mint
3 handfulls of lettuce leaves, arugula, or other salad greens
200-250 halloumi cheese, cut into 8 slices

In a medium bowl, whisk together red wine vinegar, sugar, garlic, red pepper flakes, and a dash of salt and pepper. Add cucumber and scallion and toss to combine. Cover and let stand.
Place quinoa and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer over low heat. Simmer for about 15 m, or until all liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 m. Fluff quinoa with a fork and spread on a parchment-lined baking sheet to cool.
In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil and 2 ts lemon juice. Add cooled quinoa, parsley, mint, and lettuce to the bowl and toss to coat.
Heat a grill pan or skillet over medium heat (no oil) and grill the halloumi until golden, about 2 ms on each side. When done, squeeze a little lemon juice over the cheese.
Arrange quinoa salad on 2 plates and top with the halloumi and cucumbers (without liquid).
Serve with a glass of iced tea.

*Add a stock cube.
**Make up to a day ahead and refrigerate. Add the lettuce and grill the halloumi just before serving.

Quinoa, herb & pomegranate salad

For ➋
150 g quinoa
½ vegetable stock cube
75 g pine nuts
1 pomegranate, seeds removed (or chopped dried apricots)
a small handful mint, chopped
a small handful coriander, chopped
juice of 1 lime
extra-virgin olive oil or walnut oil

Cook the quinoa, adding the vegetable stock cube to the cooking water. Leave to cool, then break up with a fork.
Meanwhile, toast the pine nuts in a dry frying pan until lightly golden. Mix the pine nuts, pomegranate seeds, herbs, lime juice and 4 tbs oil through the quinoa.
(Add some shredded cooked chicken.)

More pomegranate salads: pomegranate,endives & feta, pomegranate, tomatoes & garlic, warm lamb salad with pomegranate & mint, pomegranate & cucumber salad, Friuli winter salad, pomegranate fruit salad