Fish and chips was my favourite favourite meal when I was growing up.
These days, with my low carb tendencies, I still eat plenty of fish. But the chips… not so much.
I’ve been thinking about ways to make vegetables more palatable for my children. Which prompted this idea to replace the chips in the classic fish & chips combo with kale.
While the boys weren’t convinced, my Irishman and I LOVED this dish.
Crisp, crunchy kale chips with melting soft fish and a tangy yoghurt mayonnaise dressing. #sogood
Love how the almond meal makes the kale chips more substantial and creates a crust for the fish.
And I should mention that dressing – it’s just equal parts yoghurt and mayo but is even better than either one of those sauces alone.
Definitely one to add to your toolbox of go-to sauces.
Baked Fish + Kale Chips
Ingredients
- 1 large bunch kale 300g / 10oz
- 2 fish fillets
- 3-4 tablespoons almond meal (almond flour)
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons Greek yoghurt
Instructions
- Turn your oven to 200C (400F). Tear kale into bite sized pieces, discarding the stems if they are thicker than 1/2cm (1/4in). Spread kale over a large flat baking sheet / tray. Drizzle over a little olive oil and toss to coat.
- Place the fish on top of the kale. Sprinkle over the almond meal, making sure you make a nice crust on the top of the fish. Season with salt and bake for 10 minutes.
- While the fish is cooking, combine mayo and yoghurt in a small bowl. Season with salt as needed.
- When the 10 minutes is up, check the fish and kale. If the fish is cooked through, remove it from the oven. If not, keep cooking for a few more minutes.
- When the fish is cooked and the kale is crispy in some places, divide fish and kale between two plates. Drizzle over sauce and enjoy asap.
Nutrition
WINE MATCH: A crisp dry Riesling or Sauvignon Blanc.
Variations & Substitutions
short on time – just slice the kale into ribbons with a knife.
nut-free – skip the almond meal or replace with fine bread crumbs or finely grated parmesan.
vegetarian – replace fish with cooked chickpeas, beans or lentils. Or serve kale chips with fried eggs. You might like to add some roast almonds for extra protein and substance.
dairy-free – replace yoghurt with extra mayo or use coconut, cashew or almond yoghurt.
more substantial (carb lovers) – potato chips! OR other roast root veg.
more substantial (low carb) – more mayo, smashed avocado, or roast nuts.
Low FODMAP – stick to the lower amount of almond meal.
different vegetables – collard greens would work instead of the kale. Zucchini chips may be another option but you would need to cook the sliced zucchini for longer before adding the fish. I think spinach or chard leaves would crisp up too quickly – but I might be wrong. Keen to try cabbage leaves one day.
different protein – sausages, cooked chickpeas, halloumi, feta, chicken breast or thigh fillets (will take longer to cook).
Waste Avoidance Strategy
kale – will keep in the fridge in a plastic bag uncooked for 1-2 weeks. Once cooked it will keep for a month or so in the fridge. Can be frozen both cooked or raw.
fish fillets – freeze.
almond meal – keep it in the pantry.
mayonnaise – unopened in pantry or once opened will keep for months in the fridge.
yoghurt – usually has a shelf life of a month or so. Otherwise, have it for another meal like breakfast! Don’t freeze.
Prepare Ahead
Not really because the kale chips will go soggy. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for about a week but aren’t as nice as when freshly cooked.
Add to my Old Favourite Recipes
Another “inspired by” cook. The fish I bought was already crumbed, and as previously observed, I’ve used up the last of my almond meal anyway. Roast potato and zucchini (the skin of the latter went a little crisp in the oven, but I think that one would need a dehydrator to make actual chips out of them), sauerkraut for brassica, some preserved capsicum for additional colour, and the yoghurt/mayo sauce. Good.
I’m impressed you got the zucchini to crisp a little Mark – it has such a high moisture content I agree a dehydrator (and lots of time) would be needed to get real crisp zucchini chips.
An effect of the Corona virus in Southern Tasmania is a greater availability of fresh fish. We got a couple of pieces of gummy shark from a local fisherman that were just the thing for this recipe.
Another success story! Kale is not a favourite in this family so I did mixed roasted vegetables and steamed greens. Loved the yogurt mayo dressing – you are right Jules those two ingredients have a synergy of their own. My only issue was that the fish was well cooked but the almond mix did not brown off like yours has in the picture. Still tasted great!
Enjoy the dish Jane!
The fish I used in the picture was quite chunky so needed the full cooking time – which allowed the almond meal to brown.
Next time you could brown the finished dish under the grill for a minute or so to get that colour without overcooking your beautiful fish.
Is there anything else you’re noticing in greater abundance?
Jx
Wondered about browning!
Crayfish is the other clear abundance but still very expensive! Trying to buy very locally to support our small country businesses
Ooh sounds like a good excuse to splurge on crayfish Jane 🙂
Lucky you!