Ingredients
- 1 tbsp plain flour
- 2 x 200g/8oz thick pollock fillets, skin on
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
- 4 rindless rashers good streaky bacon
For the parsley sauce
- 200ml whole milk
- ½ medium onion, quartered
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp plain flour
- nutmeg, for grating
- small bunch curly parsley, chopped
Method
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To make the sauce, pour the milk into a medium pan and add the onion and bay leaf. Bring to a gentle simmer on the hob and cook for 5 mins. Turn off the heat, then leave to stand for 30 mins. When cool, remove the onion and bay leaf.
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To prepare the fish, toss the flour, a pinch of salt and a couple of twists of black pepper in a large bowl. Add the fish, skin-side down, to coat the skin lightly in the flour. Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the fish, skin-side down, and the bacon. Cook the fish for 5-6 mins or until the skin is crisp and it is almost completely opaque – there should be a couple of fingers’ width of uncooked fish running down the centre. Cook the bacon until it is really crisp, turning once, then remove and drain on kitchen paper.
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Meanwhile, finish making the parsley sauce. Melt the butter in a small pan and stir in the flour. Cook for 30 secs. Slowly add the milk to the pan, stirring. Simmer gently for 5 mins, stirring continuously. Season with a good grating of nutmeg, salt and pepper. Keep warm over a low heat, stirring occasionally.
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Flip the pollock over, reduce the heat slightly and cook on the other side for a further min or so until just cooked. Increase the heat under the sauce until it begins to bubble. Stir in the parsley and add a little extra milk if the sauce seems too thick. Season a little more if you like.
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Place the fish on 2 warmed plates. Spoon over the sauce and place the bacon on top. Serve.