A Quick and Healthy Poached Fish Recipe

We all wonder how to eat healthy and still enjoy our food, plus the added pressure of available time to cook a nice meal. Well, with a penchant for healthy living and a passion for cooking, I’ve been researching dietary choices for years, and have been trying my best to keep my diet nutritious and healthy, and this recipe is one of my favorites amongst my healthy meals repertoire. I’ve used Apollo fish, a Murrel fish variety, popular along the South-Eastern Coast of India, yet it’s mostly a fresh water cultivation, and I’m not sure whether it’s available in all parts of the world. So, a good alternative (by texture) could be a Catfish fillet or, as last alternative, a Tilapia fillet. My recipe is meant for a quick, healthy meal, hence we’re talking about one fillet and the proportionate ingredients. You can cook for as many people or as many meals as you like, multiplying the ingredients proportionately and using a bit of judgment of course. Bon Appetite!

Part 1 – The Marinade

• Make sure the fillet is thawed & cleaned well enough with no extra dripping water and the fish condition being OK.
• Use a clean, odour-free bowl/plate
• Add all the ingredients. EXCEPT the ‘Oil’ & ‘Black Pepper’, into the marinade bowl/plate, and softly and evenly apply the marinade on to the fish fillet. Please make sure that the fillet doesn’t break, and the marinade is evenly applied. Keep it in room temperature, or in low-cool refrigeration, preferably covered, for about 5-7 minutes.

Part 2- The Cooking

• Medium heat a pan, with a drop (or 2 max) of oil
• Place the fillet on the heated pan, slowly, and cover the pan with a little opening/vent, if you have a lid with vent that should work too, though I prefer a little more venting
• Let it poach for 5 mins, then, using a turner, carefully turn the fillet over (you should see a light red-ish char now), again let it cook for 5 mins, with the partially-vented cover on
• Now, turn over the fillet and if you see a light red-ish char then increase the heat to medium-high (not high heat at any point) & lightly press the fillet with the turner for 2-3 seconds, and turn over to do the same, and turn the heat off, I seared it a little bit to my liking, you can be flexible per your taste
• Keep the fillet on the pan for about 5 seconds after switching off the heat (this way you seal the deal)

Ok, I’m suggesting the way I did my plating, but you can be creative here.

• Carefully place the poached fillet in the middle or one side or the corner of the plate
• Dice a fully-ripe carrot into thin, long dices about 2 inches long and not more than half inch thin.
• Place the diced carrots beside the fillet, making a criss-cross net look on the plate
• Add 2 drops of Chili Garlic Sauce, well below the carrots, and create a dash/swoosh with a teaspoon across the plate ending the line under the fillet’s mid-length (now in the picture you’ll see that the dash I did was the other way, that’s because I was in a hurry, and it’s not a big deal)

Voila, your protein-rich, yummylicious healthy meal is served.