...and thanks for all the fish

Our unseasonably warm Autumn means it is taking a bit longer this year to get stuck into the wintery dishes, and I am yet to make a big soup or curry. This is probably for the best, seeing as I have been living with friends since getting back to Perth in February, and monopolising valuable freezer space may not constitute the best guest behaviour. In fact, yesterday's warm weather led me to free up some freezer space by pulling out some of the lovely snapper I managed to scab off my brother-in-law last time I was up for a visit. Leaving it out to defrost, I headed down to the shops to stock up on vegies to prepare an Asian noodle salad to serve with it, and when I returned was happy to discover that a certain little cat didn't discover a fishy treat in my absence.


Pan fried Snapper with Asian Noodle Salad

Serves 4

Salad
2 handfuls Chinese cabbage, sliced
1 handful English spinach
1 handful grape tomatoes (sliced in half if large ones)
1 handful bean sprouts
1 small handful snow peas, topped and tailed, sliced in half if long
Half a red capsicum, diced
1 small Lebanese cucumber, sliced
1 celery stick, finely sliced
3 spring onions, finely sliced
50 g vermicelli (I used mung bean vermicelli)

Dressing
4 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1.5 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, microplaned
1 small clove garlic, microplaned or crushed
1 fresh chilli, seeded and finely sliced
Small bunch coriander, chopped

8 small pieces snapper (or any tasty fish)

1. Cook the vermicelli according to the packet. I just sat mine in boiled water for a couple of minutes, then refreshed with cold water and drained well.
2. Mix together salad ingredients.
3. Prepare dressing. Taste it and adjust ingredients accordingly!
4. Dress and toss the salad, and divide amongst four plates.
5. Fry the snapper over a medium heat in a little olive oil (and a little butter if you like) until just cooked.
6. Serve two pieces of fish per plate and top with a little salt and pepper and some coriander.

The salad will keep much better if it is naked so don't dress all of it if you're too weak to eat it all at once.