Poached with a bit of cilantro , a bit of parsley

Recently overheard a conversation in a restaurant about how health food dishes have no taste , are meant for people with no interest in food. This is while they were devouring a lovely cheesy baked fish dish. No, no I wasn't being impolite and either staring or eavesdropping but the tables were so close and the seats arranged in such a way it was what it was. God that makes me chuckle. With so many ingredients, so much of option how is it that healthy does not meet tasty. Of course taste is very subjective :P

Anyways coming back to today's lunch this one is dedicated to one of my dearest friends who is a bit plump and has been struggling for years to be a bit slimmer. This one is bursting with flavours yet subtly so.

So fish full of Omega 3 is a wonderful nutritional first class protein but deep fry it and all that nutritive value is just murdered. So while poaching might not exactly bring images of deliciousness to most people this beautiful marinated poached fish full of flavours might just change their mind. In went 4 small cloves of garlic, a wee bit ginger, a bit of parsley, a bit of cilantro , 1 wedge of lemon and 1 green chili , a good marination for 2 hours , poached ready served on a bed of shredded cabbage and tomatoes , tasty healthy lunch :D


I used:

2 small whole pomfret
1 to 2 tablespoon chopped fresh of cilantro and parsley
Salt and pepper as per taste
4 small cloves of garlic
Less than an inch of ginger
1 whole green chili
1/2 tsp crushed dried basil leaves
1 wedge of lemon
2 tsp olive oil

So start by making a smooth paste of everything by adding a little water but the lemon and olive oil and then go on to marinate the fish with salt and pepper and this fresh paste. Marinate for about 2 hours. Useful tip would be to make to cuts across either side of the fish for better marination.

Well once marinated simply poach the fish with all the marination add about 1 to 1.5 cups of water. I covered and cooked for 9 minutes and the fish had soaked all the goodness of the flavours.

For the salad

2 tomatoes
1 small cup of finely shredded cabbage

Make a bed of the cabbage, arrange tomatoes and add the fish. I tried it in two ways by fish eating the fish separately with a orange honey vinaigrette dressing and the second time without any extra dressing where the thick gravy like water from the fish itself gave all the flavorus required. Must say the second one was far better.