We’ve been having an actual summer here in the UK. A proper one, with sunshine and no rain. Even in Manchester. So we’ve been eating lots of lighter dishes and more seafood, especially with spice.

White fish like cod or haddock has a delicate flavour, but it can take some spice. This is a great dish for trying this out, especially in this weather. This recipe uses a japanese spice mix called shichimi togarash, which you can get from a good oriental supermarket or online. If you have trouble sourcing it, here’s a recipe to make it yourself. It is very HOT, so use sparingly if you prefer a milder level of spice.

Serves 2

Ingredients

• carrot, 1 peeled
• cucumber, 1 small, peeled
• ginger, 1cm piece, peeled
• mirin, 1 tbsp
• soy sauce, 2 tsp
• skinless white fish fillets 2, about 100g each
• shichimi togarashi, (Japanese seven spice mix) 1 tsp

Instructions

1. Cut the carrot, cucumber and ginger into matchsticks, and put them in a bowl. Add the mirin and soy sauce.
2. Sprinkle the fish with the shichimi togarashi, pressing it into the flesh, and season. Heat a little oil in a pan. When it is very hot, fry the fish on each side for 2 minutes or until it is cooked. Serve the fish with a pile of the salad and some rice or noodles.