This sauce is one of my all time favourites and it’s based on a Turkish pine nut sauce called ‘tarator’. I just love it with fish.
Pan Fried Fish with Cashew Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 fish fillets or steaks
- 100 g cashew nuts
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 bag salad leaves or baby kale
Instructions
- Preheat a large frying pan or skillet on a high heat.
- Rub fish with a little oil. Season.
- Pop fish into the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes on the first side.
- Meanwhile, process cashews, garlic, lemon juice, 2 tablespoons water and 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil until you have a smoothish sauce. Taste and season.
- Turn fish when well browned and cook on the second side for another 2-4 minutes or until cooked through.
- Divide sauce between 2 plates. Top with fish and serve leaves on the side.
Variations
different meat – chicken breasts, 1 per person will work (bash them until flattened and about 1/2in thick before cooking). Also good with pork chops, lamb cutlets or lamb fillet.
vegetarian – replace fish with sliced halloumi – just cook until golden on both sides. OR try serving the sauce and salad with a couple of fried eggs each.
vegan – replace fish with eggplant ‘steaks’ or mushrooms. Slice 1 large eggplant crosswise and cook in oil until well browned on both sides and super tender. Will take about 5 minutes a side. You might like to increase the sauce recipe to make it more substantial too.
budget – consider using 1/2 nuts and 1/2 soft breadcrumbs.
nut-free – serve fish and salad with a yoghurt sauce (natural yoghurt seasoned with salt & pepper) or just use a good quality mayonnaise or aioli.
carb lovers / more substantial – serve with cooked quinoa, couscous, tortillas, flat bread, potatoes or brown rice.
more substantial (low carb) – extra cashews. Low carb veg.
Waste Avoidance Strategy
fish fillets or fish steaks – freeze.
cashew nuts, garlic – pantry.
lemon – keeps for months in a plastic bag in the fridge.
kale / salad leaves – best to use for another meal. Can be frozen but will wilt down when defrosted.
Prepare Ahead?
Make sauce as per recipe. Keep in an airtight jar in the fridge for 1-2 weeks. Can be frozen. Fish is best cooked freshly.
Add to my Old Favourite Recipes
Jules – I’m holding my breath but my husband has liked both of the recipes that I have tried – the mushroom spinach soup and the salmon with macadamia salad. (Did I read somewhere that macadamias have fewer carbs than cashews?) He even went so far as to heat up leftover soup for lunch without any prompting. I’m thrilled. Thank you. Carolyn
You can probably stop holding your breath Carolyn!
Keep up the excellent work 🙂
I’m only a few days as your student :). Charles loves sauce. If anyone can convince me, it’ll be you..
Love having you as my student Kris!
If Charles loves sauce you should check out the mini training on The Art of Sauce.
I adore sauce too 🙂
If this tarator-inspired spread had parents, its mom would be almond butter and its dad would be hummus. Some sort of decadent hybrid. Positively delicious.
I made the halloumi cheese version of the recipe, but in the end I’m sure one can use all kinds of alternatives as excuses to indulge in a bit of this spread (fortunately for my waistline, I only bought 300g of cashews…)
I love thinking about the parentage of recipes Marina!
So glad you liked it 🙂
Jx