Focus on what you can have

It is challenging changing your diet to accommodate your food allergy/intolerance, it’s time consuming, inconvenient and not very kind to your pocket. It is slowly becoming easier and as more is understood about coeliac disease and dairy intolerance's, it seems that we are being catered for much more today than ever before. Gluten free pasta, breads and baked goods, all be it not the most fantastic of appearance, flavours and textures, are being developed and improved all the time. There are many innovative food manufacturers cooking and baking away to bring us better versions of our beloved and missed foods (breads, pizza, biscuits and more).  But until they come up with the goods, literally, let’s focus on what we can have, although I must mention there are some products out there which can equally rival the originals. Swedish Glace Dessert is one of them and as a dairy and gluten free alternative to ice cream it keeps up well with its competitors, so well in fact many people I have served it to haven’t realised it’s a ‘dairy free’ treat (it’s not all that bad having food intolerance's sometimes).

There are so many easily available alternatives to wheat, we are almost spoilt for choice; new potatoes, baked potatoes, sweet potatoes, polenta and rice – in lots of varieties. It is time consuming getting used to preparing meals when ingredients are restricted, but nothing is impossible! Say hello to your new best friend….the potato. This starchy staple takes a little more preparation than a visit to the plastic bag of bread in your cupboard but boy will you feel better having something as filling as potatoes in your tum. They can be used in soups, to accompany salads and even in cakes (yes you read right, in cake, I’ll give you the recipe next time). Potatoes are versatile and are a part of many a classic dish, crisp golden roasties with a satisfying Sunday roast, the fluffy topping on a cottage pie or buttery mash served alongside a homemade stew. One thing I have always felt grateful for since following a gluten free diet is still being able to eat chips. Visiting the fish and chip shop and being able to indulge in fresh chips on an odd occasion, to me is a real treat. The missing out on the fish bit is disappointing but there’s an easy way round that. I thought it would be nice to experiment with the classic dish of fish and chips and so I’ve developed this homemade, easy to follow seriously scrumptious recipe.

 

Fish Bites, Fresh Chips & Homemade Tartare Sauce

Serves 2

Fish Bites

Skinned Cod Fillet, cut into chunks, 175g

Genius Gluten-free Bread, slices, 2

 Dried Mixed Herbs 3g

 Egg, medium, 1

Gluten Free Flour 15g

Garlic Salt 1g

Olive Oil 20ml


For the Chips

King Edward Potatoes 300g

Olive Oil 30ml

Flaked sea salt , to serve

 

Tartare Sauce

Mayonnaise 60ml

Cappers 30g

Red Onion, finely chopped 30g

Fresh Parsley, chopped 3g

Squeeze Lemon Juice

Salt and pepper

1. Start off by preparing the chips. Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Peel the potatoes and cut them into long chip shapes - the thickness you do is entirely up to you, though the width of your finger is ideal. Rinse under the cold tap and pat dry with a tea towel.

 2. Spread the chips on a large non-stick baking tray and toss with oil. Lay them flat in a single layer and roast for 35-40 minutes, turning now and then. When cooked they should be golden brown and crisp with a light fluffy centre. Scatter on sea salt to serve.

3. Meanwhile begin to prepare the fish. Combine the gluten-free breadcrumbs, dried mixed herbs and garlic salt. Put the gluten-free flour into a shallow dish. Beat the egg and pour into a separate shallow dish. Dip the fish pieces in the flour, then in the egg and then into the breadcrumbs.

5. Pour the oil into a large frying pan and cook fish over a medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes, turning frequently, until golden. Alternatively, instead of frying put on a baking tray, drizzle with oil and place in a medium oven for 12 to 15 minutes, until cooked thoroughly.

6. While the chips and fish are both cooking prepare the tartar sauce. Chop the red onion. Mix the onion, capers, parsley and lemon juice with the mayonnaise and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve straight away or pop it into the fridge until everything is ready.

Originally the tartare sauce included a shallot, not red onion, but the colour of the red onion looks so nice and the stronger taste really compliments the other flavours. This is a great dish to get kids making especially covering the fish bites in breadcrumbs, its messy! Personally I had great fun making this recipe every time, while on a mission to make the perfect homemade chips. So, I feel I achieved what I set out to with this recipe in that it provides a twist on a classic, still involving all the main components but presented in a fresh way. It’s a satisfying meal and comforting together, also easy to make and economic at the same time. This recipe demonstrates that it is entirely possibly on a gluten free diet to still enjoy a traditional home cooked meal without having to compromise on taste, texture or time. There are lots of meals like this, which are easily adapted to cater for the gluten free diet. It does take a little more thought and preparation to begin with but once you get into the habit it is like anything it does become familiar and then easier, I assure you. This recipe based website http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/ offers tried and tested recipes, take a look and see what recipes you can make that are gluten free, like the fish and chips with the exception of the breadcrumbs. Many recipes can be adapted to make them gluten free, how about changing pasta for rice or using polenta instead of couscous, give it a try, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.