PAN-FRIED FISH FROM POCITOS WITH GOBI MANCHURIAN ON THE SIDE

This international combo has been my favorite so far this winter.

1.PAN-FRIED FISH
When we lived in Montevideo, where deliriously fresh fish is as easy to get as maté, we had this constantly.  This photo is from a Pocitos street market in 2002, sigh...

Fish:
Buy about 1/3 lb. of fish fillets for each person - and best to get pieces about 1/2" thick (none of those super-delicate slips of sole) - and not too strong-tasting - maybe hake, bass, snapper, cod, etc.  Cut them in easy-to-flip sizes (around the same size as your spatula).  Soak for about 5 minutes in cold water, dry on paper towels, and sprinkle with salt and pepper

• 1/4 cp. flour
• 1/4 cp. corn meal
• salt and pepper

(Mix this and put on a flat plate.)

• One egg for every lb. of fish - beat with a fork in a bowl with a splash of water. 
• Canola and/or olive oil - put in a wide frying pan up to about 1/8" deep.
• A few limes and some chopped cilantro to finish (that's to go with the Gobi below - otherwise, lemon and parsley.)

Have everything ready and at hand at the stove right before you are ready to eat.  (Finish other dishes first and keep them warm or cold or however you want them.)  Put the oven on warm with a large platter inside, and spread a few layers of paper towels on the counter.  

Heat the oil moderately hot. For each piece, press first on both sides in the flour mixture until covered, then dip on both sides in the egg wash, let drip for a second over the bowl, then slide into the frying pan.  Don't crowd them too closely - you may need to do this twice depending on the size of the pan.  When each one is golden on the bottom, carefully flip it over to cook the other side.  When that side is the same color, press the fish in the middle to make sure it's no longer squishy and is cooked through.  

As each one is done, put it on the paper towels to drain a bit, then on the platter in the warm oven, hopefully in one layer.  When they're all finished, squeeze some lemon or lime juice on top of them all, and sprinkle with chopped parsley or cilantro.

GOBI MANCHURIAN (Chinese-Indian cauliflower - just try it)  
There are many recipes for this, most calling for deep frying the cauliflower, but that seems over the top.  Anyway, this is sort of a mix of all those ideas, and probably could be mixed up in various ways and still be the perfect savory/spicy/wet/crunchy-tender accompaniment to that fish.

• One cauliflower, mainly the flowerets, washed and cut into about 3/4" pieces. 
• canola oil
• 1 onion, cut up
• 1" piece of ginger
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 jalapeño (optional, and you may want to take out the seeds depending on hotness tolerance)
• 3 TB soy sauce
• 2 TB tomato sauce (could actually be ketchup if that's all you have on hand)
• 1 tsp. chinese chili paste
• chopped cilantro and scallions for garnish

Preheat oven to 425, and pour some canola oil in the bottom of a roasting pan.  Put in the cauliflower pieces and roast in the oven for about 20 minutes, or until just tender.  

While that is happening, turn on the food processor and drop in the ginger, garlic, and optional jalapeño, and when that is pulverized, put in the onion pieces until they are finely chopped.  Heat some oil in a saucepan and scrape the mixture into it - sauté about 5 minutes until soft.  Stir in the soy sauce, tomato sauce, and chili paste.  

When the cauliflower is done, mix with this sauce, and top with the cilantro and scallions.