Two things I really enjoy: fish and coconut. I’ve heard of coconut crusted proteins (most commonly fish or chicken) before but I’ve never tried it. I saw this recipe for coconut crusted fish from Spruce Eats (link here) and I knew it was time.

The recipe calls for any firm white fish. I used sole fillets, cut down the middle to make fish sticks. Cutting them in sticks helped with more even cooking. Once you have the fish ready to go, it’s time for the 3-step dredging process: flour, egg and seasoned coconut/flour mixture. Two of the seasonings were cumin and curry powder which added a yellow colour and nice complexity to the flavour palate.

Typically when I use this breading process for other recipes (ie. chicken cutlets), I like to use panko bread crumbs as the last step because it browns nicely and gets super crispy. However, I really liked how this fish, coated with flour and shredded coconut turned out. The coating got pretty crispy in the pan but the coconut still had a little bit of chew. It was a cool texture.

For the salsa, I decided to make a simplified version of the recipe. I used mango and bell pepper, seasoned with lime juice, salt and pepper. I just wanted to keep it simple to let all the flavours and spices on the fish shine through. This salsa was really bright, flavourful and added so much colour.

This was a really good dinner. The perfectly cooked fish with the crunchy coating and sweet mango was a delicious bite. I loved all the topical ingredients here, it was almost like being transported to the tropics, although I would much prefer physically going there on a vacation. One day. But for now, I will continue to explore the flavours of the world in my home kitchen.