Spicy chilli and lemony butter are perfectly complemented in this pan-fried fish recipe. It’s the perfect light meal for two!

SERVES 2 // COOKING TIME 1 hour

INGREDIENTS
For the pan-fried fish
500 g hake fillets, skin on
For the chilli sauce
5 baby onions, chopped
6 red chillies, chopped
3 tbsp chilli powder
½ tbsp fish sauce
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup water
For the potato stacks
2 garlic cloves, grated
1 cup white wine
1 tbsp butter
½ cup cream
Handful dill, roughly chopped
Juice of ½ lemon
4 potatoes, thinly sliced

METHOD
For the pan-fried fish
1. Season your fish.
2. Heat some oil in a pan over high heat. Gently place the fish in the pan, skin side down and cook until the skin is crisp. Then carefully flip over and cook the other side for 3 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.
For the chilli sauce
1. Add all the ingredients to a food processor and blend until you have a thick paste.
2. Transfer to a pot and simmer for 10 minutes, until fragrant and bright red. Season to taste.
For the potato stacks
1. Preheat oven to 200°C.
2. Heat some olive oil in a small pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and allow to sweat until fragrant.
3. Add the wine and simmer until reduced by half. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter until melted and fully incorporated. Then whisk in the cream.
4. Return to the heat. As soon as it starts to simmer, remove from the heat and stir in the dill and lemon juice.
5. Arrange the potato slices in ramekins, alternating each layer with some lemon-butter sauce.
6. Bake for 25 minutes, until the potatoes are cooked through and golden brown on top.
7. Spread some chilli sauce on plates. Carefully tip the potato stacks from the ramekins onto the chilli sauce. Top the potatoes with a piece of fish and drizzle with extra chilli sauce.

Recipe & styling: Chiara Turilli
Photography: Samantha Pinto // HMimages.co.za