Fish Goujons with Mushy Garden Peas & Spicy Sweet Potato Chips (Bloomsbury)

Nigel Barden
Jul 10
2 min read

by Anna Haugh from Cooking with Anna: Modern Home with Irish Heart

Photography: Laura Edwards

Now this was a special of Henry, my stepson. I recommend making more than you need and freezing these; that way, when you don’t feel like cooking, you can just grab them from the freezer and grill or fry them for five minutes on each side.

Serves 2-3

FOR THE FISH

2 × 150g portions of skinless cod fillet

5 tablespoons plain flour, plus more to dust

4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

100g water

200g panko crumbs

sea salt

FOR THE CHIPS

3 sweet potatoes (about 200g each)

3 tablespoons sunflower oil, plus more for the fish

½ teaspoon chilli flakes

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

FOR THE PEAS

50g salted butter

1 garlic clove, halved

300g frozen peas

TO SERVE (OPTIONAL)

handful of mint leaves, ripped lemon wedges

Method

Preheat the oven to 190°C fan.

Cut the cod into 0.5–1cm-thick strips, as long or as short as you like, then season on both sides with salt. Dust the strips with flour.

In a shallow dish, whisk together the Worcestershire sauce,

measured water and the 5 tablespoons of flour until you have a smooth batter. Tip the panko crumbs into another shallow dish.

Dip your floured cod pieces in the Worcestershire sauce batter, let it drip a little, then dip into the crumbs. Make sure your fish pieces are completely covered in crumbs.

Lay the cod on an oven tray to cook later.

Peel your sweet potatoes and cut into 1cm-thick chips, then place in a bowl and sprinkle with the oil, spices and 3 pinches of salt. Mix, then place on a baking sheet lined with baking parchment.

Cook the chips for 20–30 minutes: you want them brown on the outside and soft on the inside.

After the chips have been cooking for about 15 minutes, drizzle a little oil over your fish goujons before placing them in the oven.

Cook for 10–15 minutes or until golden brown on each side.

Meanwhile, make the peas. Put the butter and garlic in a small pan. When the garlic is about to turn brown, add the peas and a pinch of salt, give it a stir, then tip into a food processor and pulse-blend until the peas are crushed. You don’t want a purée here, so watch the blending process carefully (don’t make it too smooth).

Serve a generous dollop of mushy peas on the plates, place the fish goujons on top and serve the chips on the side.

You can elevate the flavour with some ripped mint leaves and a lemon wedge, if you like.

Drinks tasted on air alongside the dish: