Wild Fish & Chips with Lemon and Herbs
A delicious, quick, brain-boosting lunch or dinner.
Fish is one of THE most important foods for health creation in today’s context. DHA is the primary structural component of the brain and the SN-2 position omega-3 type of DHA is abundant and bioavailable in fish, which replenishes whatever gets destroyed in our eyes and skin by exposure to isolated blue light from technology screens. This way, we can absorb sunlight on skin and its benefits more effectively through our photoreceptors, giving seasonal, circadian cues to our body throughout the year, and supporting our nervous systems to stay resilient and adaptable through life’s challenges. As humans, we have the highest encephalization quotient (EQ) of any mammal on earth, so it ought to be taken care of. My mood becomes so good and balanced after I enjoy a serving of fish!
Ensure you’re sourcing wild-caught by sustainable fishers in clean waters as close to you as possible. Fresh or frozen is fine. Extra benefits if raw or lightly cooked (this preserves more of the DHA content in the fish, it’s god-tier nutrition). Eat the skin if it’s there—it provides bioavailable vitamin D much more effectively than pills. Outdoor farmed fish can be ok if that’s all you can afford (it’s better than nothing).
This nourishing, nutrient dense and delicious recipe is so easy and quick, and I often have it in my meal rotations. Any kind of local fish is great, wild salmon has the most benefits but I also have an obsession with meaty white fish like wild cod and haddock. I generally don’t like frying things, but if you do fry it in batter, opt for an ancient grain flour and grass-fed and finished tallow as the frying fat. I find that simple lemon, sea salt and a splash of olive oil are all that’s necessary to open up the flavour, though any kind of homemade sauce without industrial seed oils will probably be amazing.
Ingredients:
Served with the elixir of life (a goat kefir power smoothie that can regulate dopamine receptors and heal the gut).
1-2 cups sliced organic potatoes, with filtered water to boil them in
1 filet of wild-caught fish, skin on if possible (I used wild Nova Scotian haddock in the photo)
Fresh organic basil to season (or other organic/wildcrafted herbs)
1/2 organic lemon, freshly squeezed
Sea salt and organic cracked black pepper, to taste
1-2 tbsp good biodynamic olive oil, with more to garnish (other cooking fats include melted grass-fed ghee, virgin organic coconut oil, nitrate-free lard or grass-fed and finished tallow)
1-2 pasture-raised eggs (corn and soy-free)
Method:
Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a baking tray with unbleached, compostable parchment paper.
On the stove, get your potatoes boiling in filtered water. Bring them to a rolling boil for no more than 5 minutes (this will get them nice and crispy when roasted). Carefully drain and transfer the potatoes to a bowl. Douse the potatoes in about 1-2 tbsp olive oil, toss, and transfer them to the tray on a single layer. Roast for 50-60 minutes to get them all nice and crispy on the outside, pillowy soft on the inside.
Make your eggs. On a pan, heat up your preferred cooking fat over medium heat. As soon as the fat begins to smoke (hot enough for the eggs not to stick to the pan), crack the eggs one by one into the pan and let them sizzle until they’re solid enough to flip, for over-easy eggs. Once flipped, let them cook quickly to keep the yolk soft inside. Scrape them up with a wooden spatula and transfer the eggs to your serving plate.
With about 10-13 minutes left for the potatoes, remove the tray from the oven and make room to place the fish beside the potatoes. Season the fish and potatoes with the basil. Return the tray to the oven, raise the heat to 400F, and roast for 10-13 minutes. Keep an eye on the fish to ensure it’s cooked to your preference.
Serve the fish, crispy potatoes and eggs with a squeeze of lemon, splash of olive oil, and some flaky sea salt!
Tips:
Other condiments include homemade pesto or tartar sauce with homemade pickles, or a spoonful of sauerkraut or kimchi. Check my recipes page for more ideas.
