Lemon Baked Fish With Leek Mornay

Covid increases the awareness of remote working luckily. As a graphic designer, I was spending so much time on the computer; this was causing not having enough time for shopping or cooking. Eventually, I started to gain weight and eat junk food a lot. To stop this, I searched for an online food ordering service and decided to go with Gousto. I loved their branding and brand messaging, as well as their recipes. Since I’m Turkish and enjoy the Mediterranean diet, their recipes were the closest one to my taste. To keep everything in my archive, I’m writing their recipes in here too for future reference.

Recipe for 2

INGREDIENTS

• 4 white potatoes
• Olive oil
• 80g cheddar cheese
• ½ lemon
• 1 leek
• Knob of butter
• 2 x 100g basa fillets
• 1 tbsp flour
• 200 ml milk
• Pepper to taste
• Salt to taste

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C / 200°C (fan) / 425°F / Gas 7. Cut the potatoes (skins on) into slices, approx. 1cm thick. Add them to a baking tray
2. Drizzle the potato discs generously with olive oil, then season with a large pinch of salt and pepper. Put the tray in the oven for 20-25 min or until the potatoes are cooked through and crispy.
3. Meanwhile, grate the cheddar cheese. Zest ½ lemon and cut into quarters. Chop the leek in half lengthways, then wash to remove any grit from between the leaves. Top, tail and slice finely.
4. Heat a large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick) with a generous knob of butter over a medium heat. Once hot, add the sliced leek with a pinch of salt and cook for 6-7 min or until softened. Once softened, add 1 tbsp flour and stir with a wooden spoon for 1-2 min or until a sandy paste forms – this is your roux.
5. Gradually whisk in 200ml milk into the roux, a little at a time, and cook for 5 min or until a smooth, thick sauce remains – this is your béchamel sauce
6. Add the basa fillets to a baking tray (use tin foil to avoid mess!). Drizzle them with 1-2 tbsp olive oil, season lightly with salt and pepper and scatter the lemon zest over. Put the tray in the oven for 10 min or until the fish is cooked through. Your fish is cooked when it turns opaque and flakes easily
7. Return the béchamel sauce to a medium heat and warm for 1-2min. Once warm, add the grated cheese and stir until the cheese has melted and leek has softened – this is your leek Mornay. Add a little water if the sauce is looking a little thick!
8. Serve the lemon baked basa with the leek Mornay and crispy potatoes to the side. Garnish with the remaining lemon wedges

Enjoy!