Fish and two veg

“Can’t beat a bit of fish and two veg,” my husband noted approvingly as I set down the plates on our kitchen table.

I have to say, I agree – the British classic of meat and two veg should certainly be expanded to include fish. In contrast to roast beef with, say, potatoes and broccoli, a white flesh fish with carrots and spring greens is refreshing, clean.

As a bit of a weekend treat, I served this with a basic white sauce. Although I used butter (shock!), I did not use much and it greatly contributed to the overall flavour of the sauce. I used skimmed milk to keep the calorie count down.

We used black halibut, as it was on offer at the fishmonger. But any white-fleshed fish would be equally delightful – plaice, lemon sole, haddock, etc.

Spring fish and two veg with a cream sauce
(serves 2)
400 g halibut fillets
Juice of a lemon
5 sprays olive oil spray
2 large carrots, sliced into batons
Greens, torn
Salt and pepper
2 shallots, sliced thinly
25 g butter
5 tsp flour
Approximately 4 oz skimmed milk

Preheat the grill/broiler to a medium heat. Clean the fish and season with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Place under the broiler for approximately 20 minutes, checking halfway through.

Prepare the vegetables and put into a steamer on the hob. They’ll need about 7 minutes, so set them to steam after you check on the halibut.

Once you’ve put the fish on the grill, start your sauce. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Put the shallots in to sauté slowly – you don’t want them to brown. Season with pepper. After checking on the halibut, whisk in the flour, teaspoon by teaspoon to create a roux. Let that sauté for a further few minutes.
Begin adding the skimmed milk, bit by bit, whisking rapidly so as not to get clumps. Add up to about 4 ounces, and keep whisking over a low to medium heat. If the sauce becomes too thick, add more milk and whisk further.

Serve the fish on a plate with the vegetables, and drizzle the cream sauce all over, if desired.

Calories per serving: a very respectable 446, even using butter.

A tablespoon of olive oil would have contributed just as many calories, so in certain situations, butter is a better choice. Just don’t get carried away.

On a Saturday evening, this dish was lovely with a couple glasses of white wine, which added another 200 calories.

For a great, simple dessert, serve some lovely cherries (they’re just coming into season) with some fat free yogurt.