Pan-fried fish with
peanut pesto topping

A scrumptious way to serve any fish, adding all the nutritious benefits of peanuts. Serve with a refreshing tomato salad and a chunk of Ciabatta, or with new potatoes in their skins and steamed carrots.

Preparation and cooking time: 20 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients

2 tbsp. olive oil
Salt and coarsely ground black pepper
4 white fish or Salmon fillets (around 800g)
Juice of one fresh lemon

For the peanut pesto topping:
60ml olive oil
60g fresh basil leaves
2 cloves garlic, skinned
120g American peanuts
30g Parmesan cheese
50ml cold water
Black pepper

Method

1. Heat a non-stick frying pan and add the olive oil. Season the fish and pan-fry over a medium heat, skin side down. Squeeze half the lemon juice over the fish and allow to cook for about 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, put the ingredients for the pesto into a blender and process until combined, still retaining a crumbly texture.
3. Turn the fish over, and add the remaining lemon juice. Cook for another 4-5 minutes, or until the fish is just cooked. Add a little water if the fish begins to stick to the pan.
4. Place the cooked fish gently onto a serving dish, skin side down, and coat the top with the pesto sauce. Serve immediately.

Health Tip

This recipe uses a lower fat version of a classic pesto sauce. This amount of pesto would normally contain at least twice as much olive oil and cheese. Peanuts are cholesterol-free and contain 24% monounsaturated fat, the main fat also found in olive oil.