Would I make the crispy fish again just to eat it straight from the tray?

Absolutely. But piled over rice with avocado, crunchy cabbage, tomatoes, lime and that creamy sauce, it’s even better.

 

The crispy fish is obviously the reason to make these.

It’s golden, crunchy and very hard not to snack on while you’re putting the bowls together.

Once it finally makes it into the bowl, I like keeping everything else quite fresh.

Rice underneath, shredded purple cabbage, avocado, chopped tomatoes, coriander, then plenty of lime over the top.

The creamy sauce goes on last and I usually add more than I planned to.

What I like about this dinner is that it doesn’t feel too heavy even though the fish is battered.

You get something crunchy, something creamy, something sharp and something fresh in pretty much every mouthful.

And yes, I’d still make extra fish.

 

Ingredients

For the cilantro lime rice

• 1 cup long-grain white rice
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh coriander

For the crispy battered fish

• 500 g firm white fish fillets, cut into chunky bite-sized pieces
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 120 g plain flour
• 2 tablespoons cornflour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 egg
• 180 ml very cold sparkling water
• Vegetable oil, for frying

For the spicy lime sauce

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt or sour cream
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 small garlic clove, finely grated
• Pinch of salt

For the bowls

• 2 cups finely shredded purple cabbage
• 1 cup diced tomatoes
• 1 large avocado, sliced
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander
• 2 limes, cut into wedges

 

Get the rice going first

The rice is simple, but it should not be plain.

Cook it until fluffy, then add lime and coriander while it is still warm.

That way the citrus gets into the rice instead of just sitting on top.

You are not trying to make aggressively lime-flavoured rice.

It should just taste fresher than ordinary white rice.

That little bit of seasoning matters once the bowl is built.

 

 

Instructions

Cook the rice

• Rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs mostly clear.
• Add the rice, water and salt to a saucepan.
• Bring to the boil.
• Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for about 15 minutes, or until the water has been absorbed.
• Remove from the heat and leave covered for 10 minutes.
• Fluff the rice with a fork.
• Stir through the lime juice and chopped coriander.

Make the spicy lime sauce

• Add the mayonnaise, Greek yogurt or sour cream, lime juice, hot sauce, smoked paprika, garlic and salt to a small bowl.
• Stir until completely smooth.
• Taste and add a little more lime juice if you want it sharper.
• Refrigerate while you prepare the fish.

Prepare the fish

• Pat the fish pieces very dry with paper towels.
• Season with salt, black pepper, garlic powder and paprika.
• In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cornflour and baking powder.
• Add the egg and cold sparkling water.
• Whisk just until you have a thick but pourable batter.
• Heat about 5 cm of vegetable oil in a deep frying pan or saucepan to around 180°C / 350°F.
• Dip the fish pieces into the batter, allowing a little excess to drip off.
• Lower them carefully into the hot oil.
• Fry in small batches for about 3 to 4 minutes, turning as needed, until deep golden and crisp.
• Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a wire rack or paper towel-lined plate.
• Repeat with the remaining fish.

Build the bowls

• Divide the cilantro lime rice between bowls.
• Add a generous pile of shredded purple cabbage.
• Scatter over the diced tomatoes.
• Add the sliced avocado.
• Top with the crispy battered fish.
• Drizzle over the spicy lime sauce.
• Finish with fresh coriander.
• Serve with lime wedges on the side.

Keep the cabbage simple

The purple cabbage works best here because it stays crisp.

I would not turn it into a heavy mayonnaise slaw.

There is already a creamy sauce in the bowl, and doubling down on creamy cabbage just makes everything feel heavier.

If you want to soften it slightly, toss it with a squeeze of lime and a tiny pinch of salt.

That is enough.

The crunch is useful.

It gives your fork something to find between the soft rice and avocado.

 

 

The sauce should drizzle, not sit in blobs

The spicy lime sauce needs to be loose enough to run over the fish and down into the rice.

If yours feels too thick, add a teaspoon of water or extra lime juice.

You want little streaks of sauce through the bowl, not a spoonful sitting on top like icing.

The hot sauce level is entirely up to you.

I keep it moderately spicy because the fish is meant to still taste like fish.

If you want more heat, add extra hot sauce after tasting rather than going wild from the start.

Far easier to add fire than negotiate with it later.

Do not overcrowd the oil

This is one of those boring cooking rules that annoyingly happens to be true.

Too many fish pieces at once will drop the oil temperature.

Then the batter starts absorbing oil instead of crisping.

You want that golden puffed coating you can actually hear when you bite into it.

Work in batches.

The first batch can sit on a rack while the next one cooks and will stay perfectly fine.

Avocado goes in last

Cut the avocado once everything else is nearly ready.

That keeps it fresh and green.

I like fairly thick slices here because they hold their shape better against the hot fish.

Very thin slices tend to disappear into the bowl.

A squeeze of lime over the avocado is useful if the bowls are sitting for a few minutes before serving.

It also tastes good, which is generally a nice bonus.

If you want the fish even crisper

Swap half of the plain flour for extra cornflour.

You will get a lighter, crunchier coating.

You can also keep the sparkling water in the fridge until the second you need it.

Cold batter hitting hot oil gives a better texture.

Do not overmix the batter either.

It does not need to be perfectly smooth.

A few small lumps are harmless.

What I would serve with it

Honestly, nothing.

It already has rice, fish, vegetables, avocado and sauce.

That is dinner.

If you are feeding a bigger group, grilled corn would fit nicely.

So would tortilla chips with salsa.

But I would not start adding three side dishes just because the bowl happens to look cheerful.

It has enough going on.

Leftovers need a little strategy

The rice, cabbage, tomatoes and sauce can all be stored separately in the fridge.

The fish is the tricky part.

Fried fish is always at its best straight from the oil.

If you do have leftovers, reheat them in the oven or air fryer rather than the microwave.

The microwave will make the coating soft.

Useful appliance.

Terrible wingman for crispy batter.

Keep the avocado fresh and slice a new one when serving leftovers if possible.

Q&A

What fish works best?

Cod, haddock and pollock are all excellent.

You want a firm white fish that stays flaky inside without falling apart during frying.

Can I use frozen fish?

Yes.

Thaw it completely and dry it very well before seasoning and battering.

Can I make the sauce less spicy?

Definitely.

Use half the hot sauce or leave it out completely.

You will still have a creamy lime sauce with plenty of flavour.

Can I use brown rice?

Yes.

The flavour works, although white rice gives the bowl a lighter texture.

Can I bake the fish?

You can, but wet batter does not bake as well as it fries.

For an oven version, I would switch to a breadcrumb coating instead.

Can I make this without dairy?

Yes.

Use dairy-free yogurt in the sauce or simply make it with mayonnaise, lime and hot sauce.

Can I prepare the vegetables ahead?

Yes.

Shred the cabbage and dice the tomatoes earlier in the day and keep them refrigerated.

Slice the avocado just before serving.

Why is my batter not crispy?

The most common causes are oil that is not hot enough, fish that was too wet, or overcrowding the pan.

Keep the batter cold, the oil hot and the batches small.