Nancy’s Fried Fish | Fish Recipes | Fishwife

In August this year we were fortunate enough to be invited by friends to join them and their families at their beach cottage in a secluded spot in the Transkei.  It was my first trip to the Transkei and I was overwhelmed by the beauty of this remote location which had us traveling a pretty intense 4×4 trail for over an hour before arriving at the coast.  

Every morning the boys would gather their fishing and spearfishing gear and disappear into the horizon, off to catch our lunch and supper. The ladies would gather on the porch drinking their morning coffee and catching up on gossip.  Our day was filled with reading and relaxing before throwing on our flip flops and making our way to the slip way to welcome them home from their day at sea and to have our cameras ready to take some pictures of the day’s catch!

The lifestyle for that week on vacation was so wonderful, with the fishermen bringing home just enough for us to consume and releasing the rest of their catch so as not to waste what the ocean had provided us.  It gave new meaning to the words “eating from the land”, and it was some real insight into how the remote townships in the Transkei survive so far away from civilization. Spearfishing in particular is such a sustainable form of fishing, as you are only able to select and remove one fish in a school. Not only this, but you also have to have the skill to actually hit your target, meaning it is not only selective but also a very masterful form of fishing.

We had a few local ladies helping us in the kitchen during our stay.  One of these ladies in particular, Nancy, was kind enough to share her delicious fried fish recipe with me.  I had never tried to fry fish on my own before as I always assumed it was so difficult to do, but Nancy showed me step by step just how easy it is to create at home.

A STEP BY STEP ILLUSTRATION OF NANCY’S FRIED FISH:

Place your fish pieces in a flat dish and cover with flour, salt, pepper and Aromat. Make sure the flour coats both sides of the fish.

 
Whisk together 3 eggs in a separate bowl.

In a Cast Iron pot heat your oil.  The Cast Iron really helps to keep the oil hot and create lovely crispy fried fish.

Throw the floured fish into the egg mixture and toss around to coat all over.

 
Using a spatula or slotted spoon carefully place the fish into the hot oil one piece at a time.

Allow to cook for a few minutes and turn a lovely golden brown before flipping over and cooking through on the other side.

Remove from the pot and place in bowl lined with paper towel to absorb any excess oil.

Serve with some mayonnaise and lemon wedges.

Nancy's Fried Fish

Ingredients

1. Fish pieces (any firm white fish such as kingklip will do)
2. Flour
3. Aromat
4. Salt & Pepper
5. 3 Eggs
6. Oil
7. Lemon wedges (optional)
8. Mayonnaise (optional)

Instructions

1. Place fish pieces evenly in a flat dish
2. Cover with flour and season with salt, pepper and Aromat
3. Toss the fish pieces through the flour to evenly coat
4. Heat a large Cast Iron Pot with oil on a high heat
5. Whisk together 3 eggs in a separate bowl
6. Place floured fish pieces in the egg and coat evenly
7. With a spatula or slotted spoon, place the fish pieces one at a time into the hot oil
8. Allow to brown for a few minutes before flipping over to the other side
9. Remove fish pieces from the oil when nice and golden brown and place in a dish lined with paper towel to remove any excess oil
10. Serve with mayonnaise and lemon wedges