Fish finger bhorta
I am so grateful to the political journalist Ash Sarkar for this new love in my life. Up until now, I had thought the fish finger found its greatest expression in a fish finger sandwich, which for all my expounding on the subject, I don’t consider the stuff of recipes; the fish finger bhorta is a different matter entirely.
Ingredients
For the pink-pickled onions
- ½ red onion, thinly sliced
- red wine vinegar or lime juice, to cover
For the bhorta
- 12 fish fingers
- 3 tbsp cold-pressed rapeseed or vegetable oil
- 2 onions (approximately 300g/10½oz), thinly sliced
- 2 red chillies, seeds removed, if preferred, and thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp finely grated fresh root ginger
- 2 large garlic cloves, crushed or grated
- 2 tbsp English mustard
- 2 tsp sea salt flakes (or 1 tsp fine sea salt)
- 125g/4½oz young spinach
- 1 lime, juice only
- 3 tbsp roughly chopped fresh coriander, plus more to garnish (optional)
Method
Make your pink-pickled onions as far in advance as you can: at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours. Place the red onion in a jar with a lid, or simply into a bowl that you can cover. Pour over the red wine vinegar (or lime juice), pressing down on the onions until they are all just immersed. Put the lid on the jar or cover your bowl, and leave the onions to steep.
When you’re ready to make the bhorta, preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7. Put the fish fingers on a baking tray and cook for approximately 20–25 minutes, which may be slightly longer than the packet directs, but ensures the breadcrumb coating is really crisp.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying pan (I use a wok-shaped stir-fry pan). Cook the onions over a medium–low heat for 20 minutes, stirring regularly, until pale gold and soft. Add the chillies and cook for 3 minutes, stirring all the while. Stir in the ginger and garlic and cook, still stirring, for another 2 minutes. Spoon in the mustard and salt, stirring to combine. Add the spinach and allow to wilt in the pan for 2–3 minutes, stirring regularly, then squeeze in the lime juice.
Take the pan off the heat while you get the fish fingers. Break them up a bit with a spatula and then add to the pan. Toss everything together, breaking them up further and mashing them into the pan, then sprinkle over the coriander.
Serve topped with the pink-pickled onions and extra coriander, if wished.