SESAME-CRUSTED FISH WITH SAMPHIRE & CLAMS

Sesame-crusted fish with samphire & clams image

Salty samphire and umami-loaded miso go so well with sweet sea bream and clams in this East Asian-inspired dish

Provided by Jane Hornby

Time 20m

Number Of Ingredients 11

Ingredients

2 nests (140g/5oz) medium or thick egg noodles
2 fillets sustainable white fish , skin on, scaled and pin-boned (we used sea bream)
4 tsp sesame seeds
3 tsp sunflower or vegetable oil
thumb-sized piece ginger , peeled and finely shredded
300g fresh clams
2 tbsp dry sherry
90g pack samphire (or a few handfuls from the fishmonger)
2 x 18g sachets (or 2 tbsp) miso soup paste
bunch spring onions , shredded
little sesame or chilli oil (or both), to serve

Steps:

Cook the noodles following pack instructions. As soon as they are just tender, drain in a colander, rinse under the cold tap and set aside.
Slash each piece of fish 3 times on the skin side. Season well and press the sesame seeds over the skin in an even layer.
Heat the oven to low, ready to keep the fish warm. Put a couple of wide bowls in to warm, too. Heat 2 tsp oil in a non-stick frying pan, the sturdier the better. Add the fish, and fry for 5 mins on the crusted side until the seeds are pale golden and the flesh of the fish has changed colour almost all the way through. Turn the fish over, cook for a few secs more, then remove to a plate and transfer to the oven. Put the kettle on to boil.
Add the remaining oil to the pan and sizzle the ginger for 30 secs. With the heat very high, tip in the clams, then the Sherry and 1 tbsp water. Put the lid on and leave to steam and sizzle until the shells are opened, about 1-2 mins. Shake the pan every 30 secs or so. Add the samphire, cover again and cook for 1 min more until bright and just tender.
Make up the miso in a jug with 450ml boiling water. Run boiling water through the noodles to reheat, then pile into the warm bowls. Spoon over the clams (discard any that haven't opened) with the ginger, samphire and any juices, plus the spring onions, then pour over the miso and top with a piece of crisp fish, sesame-side up. Drizzle with a little sesame or chilli oil (or both), then dig in.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 601 calories, Fat 20 grams fat, SaturatedFat 3 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 54 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 3 grams sugar, Fiber 7 grams fiber, Protein 47 grams protein, Sodium 3.3 milligram of sodium