Crumbed king george whiting

Step 1

Place a fish on a chopping board, backbone-side up. Using a filleting knife, cut down both sides of the collar and remove the fish’s head, pulling most of the internal organs out with it. Draw your knife down the backbone of the fish from head to tail, cutting along one side of the bone. Cut again to deepen the incision, carefully cutting all the way through to open up the fish but leaving the tail intact. Repeat on other side of the backbone, then, using kitchen scissors, snip out the backbone to leave a kite-shaped fish with the tail intact. Use fish tweezers to remove any bones (alternatively, depending on species, it may be easier to remove rib bones with a knife) and wipe away any remaining inards. Repeat with remaining fish. (Alternatively, buy gutted whiting and butterfly yourself.)

Step 2

Preheat oven to 100°C. Grease 2 baking trays and line with baking paper.

Step 3

Place flour, eggs and breadcrumbs in separate shallow bowls. Holding the tail, dust fish with flour, shaking off excess, then dip in egg and coat in breadcrumbs. Place on a prepared tray and repeat with remaining fish.

Step 4

Melt 1/2 cup (125g) ghee in a large frypan over high heat. When hot, add 2 fish and cook for 2 minutes, then flip and cook for 1 minute or until golden. Place on second prepared tray and transfer to oven to keep warm. Wipe frypan clean and repeat fish cooking process twice more.

Step 5

Meanwhile, to make the salad, whisk lemon juice and oil in a bowl until well combined. Add parsley, nasturtium, dill and chervil, and gently toss through lemon dressing.

Step 6

Serve fish with herb salad, yoghurt tartare and extra lemon cheeks.