Coconut Crushed Fish
Serves: 4 | Estimated Time: 45 minutes | Special Equipment: none
Coated in coconut, lime, and a touch of spice, this crusted fish makes for a satisfying, gluten-free, and crispy fish dish. Serve alongside a dollop of mint-cilantro chutney for a burst of complementary flavor of fresh herbs, sharp red onion, a bit of chili heat, and pomegranate sweetness. Any sustainable and firm white fish fillets work great for this recipe so we’ve provided a few options below to choose from for your convenience and to protect marine life!
Ingredients
- 4 firm white fish fillets (sustainable options: barramundi, pollock, whiting)
- 1 egg
- Juice of ½ lime
- Zest and 1 lime
- ½ cup coconut flour
- ½ cup shredded coconut (unsweetened and untoasted)
- 1 tsp cumin seeds, toasted
- ½ tsp Kashmiri chili powder, divided (substitute: cayenne powder)
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper, divided
- ½ tsp wright salt, divided
Mint Cilantro Chutney
- 1-2 tbsps fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup cilantro with tender stems
- 2 cups fresh mint leaves, packed
- 1 bunch green onion
- 2 tbsp pomegranate seeds, ground
- 2 - 3 green Thai chilies
- 1 small red onion, coarsely chopped
- ½ inch ginger, grated
- 1 garlic clove, grated
- 1 tsp wright salt, or to taste
- ½ tsp freshy ground black pepper, or to taste
- 2 tbsps water, or just enough to get blender going
- ½ tsp honey
Instructions
Begin with the chutney. Put the onion, chili peppers, lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons of water in a blender and blend until smooth. Add the mint and cilantro in 2 batches, adding more as the first batch is reduce to a smooth purée, blending until thoroughly puréed. Add additional water, if needed. Add the pomegranate seeds, honey, black pepper and salt and blend again. Adjust the seasonings.
Transfer to a bowl and set aside in the fridge. (Chutney can also be refrigerated for up to 5 days.)
Into a food processor, combine the lime zest, shredded coconut, cumin seeds, ¼ teaspoon chili powder, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Process until the mixture has become uniformly crumbly. Pour into a shallow plate and set aside.
Whisk together the egg white and lime juice and set aside.
Pour the coconut flour into a shallow plate and season with remaining chili powder, black pepper, and salt.
Pat the fish fillets dry and working one at a time, dredge into the coconut flour mixture, and shake off any excess. Dip the fish into the egg, allowing the excess to drip off. Place the fish into the shredded coconut mixture, gently pressing it into the fish. Repeat with the remaining fillets.
At this point, you can either choose to bake your coated fillets at 350F (175C) for 20 minutes and an additional 3-5 minutes on broil. Or, you can heat oil or ghee in a skillet over medium-high heat and brown each side for 3-5 minutes.
Serve with mint cilantro chutney.
