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Crumbed fish with creamed nettles

On a white plate are two pieces of pan fried fish on top of creamed nettle sauce. Two boiled potatoes and two lemon wedges next to it.

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Table of contents

Crumbed fish with nettles sauce brings back memories of my childhood. My grandmother was a keen forager. I remember her using stinging nettles in cooking growing up. She used them in soups, stews and for this creamed nettle sauce.

She served this rich creamy nettles sauce with many different things and with both meat and fish. However together with crumbed white fish was definitely my favorite. The crunchy coating and the soft white flaky fish pairs perfectly with the rich creaminess of the nettles in this recipe

When I noticed all the stinging nettles growing wild in our paddocks, I decided to make good use of them. That's why this dish is a regular meal served at my house and my family enjoys it just as much as I do!

Ingredients to make Crumbed fish with creamed nettles

Any flaky white fish works well for this recipe.

Fresh nettles

onion

cream

nutmeg

vegetable oil

salt and pepper

White fish fillets

Bread crumbs

Eggs

Milk

flour

Butter

Equipment to make crumbed fish with nettles sauce

large pot

medium sauce pan

chopping board

3 bowls or deep trays for crumbing

whisk

frying pan

How to make Creamed nettles with crumbed fish

Picking the nettles

To gather wild greens like stinging nettles and adding them to your diet can be very beneficial. You can be sure the edible nettles are organic and nutritious. They are rich in vitamins and antioxidant.

Wild stinging nettles growing

The young leaves near the top of the fresh nettles plant are best to cut and cook with. Use gardening gloves and scissors to cut the stalks and avoid touching the plant with your bare skin when picking nettles.

Blanching the nettles

Stinging nettles have a mild earthy flavor similar to spinach but with a slight tang and peppery hint to them.

  • Cook the stinging nettles for 2-3 minutes in boiling salted water and refresh them in ice cold water. After that you can touch them and consume them safely.
stinging nettles cooking in a pot of water
Cooking nettles
  • Pick the nettle leaves from the stalks and put aside. Discard the stalks.
  • Squeeze excess water out of the nettles
cooked stinging nettles. Leaves picked from the stalks. Cooked leaves in a glass bowl and stalks on a chopping board
Blanched nettles

Once blanched the stinging nettle leaves can be frozen and used later if you wish.

Creamed nettle sauce

  • Cook the onion in butter until soft.
  • Stir in the flour and cook for a couple of minutes.
  • Slowly add the milk while whisking and cook for a few minutes.
  • Add the blanched nettles and cream
Making creamed nettles in a sauce pan using a balloon whisk
Creamed nettles
  • Season with salt, pepper and a small amount of grated nutmeg.
  • Mix well and serve with the crumbed fried fish.

Crumbing the fish fillets

Set up an assembly line of three bowls to make the breaded fish.

  • Coat the fish fillets well by dusting the slices in flour first,
  • then dip them in the egg wash and
  • finally coat them evenly in bread crumbs.
  • I like to use standard bread crumbs for a European style crumbed fish. However panco crumbs works fine too.
Three deep trays next to each other, one with flour, the second with egg wash, the third with bread crumbs, all of them with a fish fillet in it
Crumbing the fish fillets
  • Heat a frying pan, pour in oil and a good size knob of butter.
  • Fry each side of the fish on low to medium heat until golden on each side and cooked through. 
Three crumbed fish fillets frying in a cast iron skillet pan
Adding the crumbed fish fillets to a frying pan
Three crumbed fish fillets frying golden brown in a cast iron skillet pan
Crumbed fish fillets fried golden brown

The breaded fish fillets can be prepared and crumbed in advance, just fry them fresh before serving.

Substitute options

  • You can easily substitute the fresh stinging nettles with spinach. However if you do have access to wild stinging nettles, I highly recommend giving this amazing plant a go.
  • The crumbed fish can be substituted with crumbed mushrooms for a vegetarian option

Breaded fish with nettles is a great hunter gather meal. Catching your own fish and foraging for wild plants is the most natural, healthy and sustainable way to get ingredients and prepare food. Try this crumbed fish with nettles sauce recipe. I’m sure you love it!

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Prep Time 30 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Total Time 1 hr
Cooking Method:
Cuisine:
Courses:
Difficulty: Intermediate
Servings: 4
Best Season: Suitable throughout the year
Description

Crumbed fish fillets gently fried to perfection in butter until golden and crispy. Served with rich, creamy nettles that acts both as a sauce and a green veg. The combination of flavors and textures are excellent!

Crumbed fish with nettles
    Pan fried crumbed fish
  • 4 fish fillets (pinn boned)
  • 2 cups bread crumbs (panko or european)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 11/2 cup flour
  • salt and pepper
  • butter (for frying)
  • vegetable oil (for frying)
    • Creamed Nettle
  • 400 g Nettles (Fresh)
  • 11/2 tbsp butter
  • 1/2 onion (finely chopped)
  • 200 ml milk
  • 100 ml cream
  • 11/2 tbsp flour
  • salt and pepper
  • nutmeg (a pinch)
Instructions
    Crumbed fish with creamed nettles
  1. 1
    Crumbed fishThree crumbed fish fillets frying golden brown in a cast iron skillet pan
    • Set up an assembly line of three bowls or deep trays to make the breaded fish.
    • Mix together eggs, milk, salt and pepper in one bowl/tray
    • add your flour in another and add the bread crumbs in the last one.
    • Dip the fillets in flour first. All of the fish should be covered with a light dusting,
    • then dip each fillet in the egg mixture and finish in the bread crumbs. The fish should be well coated all over. 
    • Heat a frying pan, pour in oil and a good size knob of butter.
    • Fry each side of the fish on low to medium heat until golden on each side and cooked through. The cooking time varies depending on fish variety and size.
  2. 2
    Blanching nettlescooked stinging nettles. Leaves picked from the stalks. Cooked leaves in a glass bowl and stalks on a chopping board
    • Cook the stinging nettles for 2-3 minutes in boiling salted water then refresh them in ice cold water.
    • After that you can touch them and consume them safely.
    • Pick the leaves off the blanched nettle stalks and put aside. Discard the stalks.
    • Squeeze excess water out of the nettles
    [caption id="attachment_4791" align="alignnone" width="300"]stinging nettles cooking in a pot of water Cooking nettles[/caption]
  3. 3
    Creamed NettlesMaking creamed nettles in a sauce pan using a balloon whisk
    • Cook the onion in butter until soft.
    • Stir in the flour and cook for a couple of minutes.
    • Slowly add the milk while whisking and cook on low heat for a few minutes.
    • Add the blanched nettles and cream.
    • Season with salt, pepper and a pinch of grated nutmeg.
    • Mix well and serve with the crumbed fried fish and potatoes. 

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Read it online: https://myselfsufficientfoodjourney.com/recipe/crumbed-fish-with-creamed-nettles/