Fish course

 How has lockdown broken you? I thought I was doing okay, ish. I was a bit down when it was announced, but since then I've been slogging on. Buying myself two advent calendars as well as Yay Advent gifts? A bit OTT but okay. The eye-twitch I've had for two days? Probably too much screen time. Being tired and grumpy? It's November! 

So it's a bit of a surprise to discover that my totally reasonable lockdown breakage is that I looked at a recipe that involves baked fish in mayonnaise, and thought "Why not?"

It's by Diana Henry, is my excuse. I do trust her. But still: baking mayonnaise. Honestly. 

I followed this dubious decision up by missing a step in the recipe. It was the first step. It was "boil the potatoes". You might think that's quite an important step. You are right. 

I just about salvaged things. 

The basics are: some fried onions, with parsley and garlic. Hake fillets sprinkled with lemon juice. And sliced boiled potatoes, very briefly sauted to give them some colour. Layered up in a baking dish: raw fish, onions, spuds.

 

Then... lots and lots of mayo. Slathered. I was promised by DH that the dish was forgiving, and the mayo didn't need to be thick or even. It was neither.

But in the end, it did indeed work pretty well. Definitely golden.

And it was tasty. Mayo is really just eggs and oil, so I guess it's a bit like well seasoned bechamel or something. It left some interesting globs of cooked egg, anyway, and the fishy, lemony, oniony bit would never go too wrong. But the pools of fat in the bottom of the dish and on the plate say Bad Bad Decision. 

Let us chalk it up to lockdown madness. An experience. Sustaining.