Crunchy fried fish fillet

Fried fish fillet is best served crispy on the outside and moist and flaky on the inside. To achieve this we shall make our own breadcrumbs which are larger than usual and very crunchy. These are known as “panko breadcrumbs.”

Ingredients (makes 4)
1 kg tilapia/Nile perch fillet
6 slices of white salt bread
½ cup wheat flour 1 level tsp garlic powder
2 large eggs 2 tbsp water
2 lemons ¼ tsp red chili powder (optional)
1 tsp Royco Salt and ¼ tsp black pepper powder
Oil for shallow frying

Method
1. Make “panko breadcrumbs” by crumbling up the slices of bread into medium-size pieces and baking them in an oven that has been preheated at 150C/300F/gas mark 2, for at least 10 minutes. Bake the breadcrumbs for about eight minutes, or until crisp without browning. Cool completely before using.
2. Wash, dry and cut lemons into quarters, cover and put aside.
3. Wash the fish fillets and chop into eight pieces. Season with a pinch of salt, black pepper and chili powder if using and put aside.
4. Put the flour in a bowl, add one tsp Royco and mix well. In a soup plate, beat the eggs with 2 tbsp water and a pinch of salt. Mix two cups of the breadcrumbs with the garlic powder and a pinch of salt and put aside. (Store the rest of the breadcrumbs in an airtight container for future use.)
5. Coat the fish in the flour mixture, then egg and finally the breadcrumbs.
6. Heat enough oil for shallow frying. The oil is hot enough when a 2.5cm cube of white bread browns in 40 seconds.
7. Fry the fish for 5 mins on each side until golden brown. Serve with French fries, a fresh salad and lemon wedges to squeeze over the fish. Enjoy!

Tip
• To make healthier French fries, boil the potato chips in salted water until half-cooked. Dry using a clean dish cloth and brush all over with a little oil. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6, for 10 minutes. Bake the potatoes in a single layer and not on top of each other, until golden brown on both sides and nice and crunchy.