Sorshe Maach (Mustard Fish)

We don't tend to eat that much fish. Cheap fish is usually pretty iffy in either ethics, sustainability, or both. And sustainably sourced fish tends to be expensive. But fish is "free" for me now (along with skinless chicken breasts, legumes, tofu, and a few other things), so I'm making an effort to work it into my diet more often.

To that end, I picked up a package of haddock pieces in our last produce basket. I was originally planning on using it to make some fish stew, but I decided that I'd rather have curry at the last minute, so I opted for this simple mustard-based fish curry instead.

Sadly, this one was more of a miss than a hit (highly unusual for one of Mr. Iyer's recipes), but it was still nice to be able to check off another recipe in the book. And, even though TF and the Kidlet didn't care for this one, I liked it. To be fair, it wasn't a "favourite" for me, I don't see it as being one that I'll come back to over and over like some of the other dishes we've tried, but I thought it was a perfectly reasonable, basic fish dish.

TF and the Kidlet both found it bitter. I noted a bit of bitterness, but I didn't find it impacted my enjoyment of the dish. I'm not sure where the bitterness was coming from. I don't know if I cooked the mustard too long or if our mustard oil was too old and had gone a bit "off" or if this is just a naturally bitter dish. Regardless of the source, I've recommended using the full amount of salt here to offset the bitter flavours. Normally I halve the salt in most of the things that I cook, but I think that perhaps I should not have done so for this one.

Sorshe Maach

Slightly adapted from 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Ingredients

• 1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
• 450g skinless firm-fleshed fish fillets (cod, halibut, sea bass, pollock, etc.)
• 1 Tbsp. mustard seeds, ground
• 3-4 fresh green Thai, finger, or serrano chilies, minced
• 2-3 Tbsp. mustard oil, divided
• 1/2 c. water
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Sprinkle 1/4 tsp. of turmeric over the fish. Flip the fillets over and sprinkle the remaining turmeric on the other side.
2. Cill and let rest/marinate for 1-12 hours.
3. Heat 1-2 Tbsp.¹ of the oil over medium-high heat.
4. Add the mustard and chilies and stir-fry for 1 minute.
5. Add the water, salt, and pepper.
6. Add the fish to the pan and gently spoon the sauce over it.
7. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer for 5-7 minutes.
8. Sprinkle with cilantro, drizzle with the remaining mustard oil, and serve.

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¹ 1 Tbsp. for the calorie-conscious, 2 Tbsp. for everyone else. ^Back