Citrus and herb panko crusted red tilapia with bastardised nasi goreng

Weekends are a special time for culinary fanatics. Without the hustle and bustle of the working week to distract us, we are able to dig deep into the larder to eat something special or try something new. It’s when we whip out the liquid smoke, fire up the blow torch, and share our passion for food with those closest to us. In the Scavenger Gourmet kitchen, there’s inevitably a bit of tug-of-war that goes on: I crave fry-ups, steaks, and game stews, while Al usually wants something along the lines of poached seaweed with an air jus. Our efforts to compromise and maintain a relative amount of domestic harmony – as well as our passable environmental awareness – means that I find myself cooking a lot more fish these days.

Now, I’ve never been one of those people who always seems to fall back on the tested but tired routine of salmon with new potatoes and rocket salad: mackerel, sardines, monkfish, cod, swordfish, mussels, prawns, and scallops are all well within my comfort zone, and I like to think that I’ve got an especially deft hand when it comes to tuna. Even beleaguered salmon has its place as a quick mid-week supper – it is fantastic perched on top of some nice and light, primavera-style pasta and also works very well with couscous. But the fact that my at-home diet now almost resembles pescetarianism means that my weekend exploits are typically a matter of finding new ways to pervert the simple pleasure of fresh fish.

This weekend I wanted to distance myself from the usual suspects. A fun but gastronomically atrocious meal at Huong Viet in Dalston as part of the annual JT staff lash-up the weekend before left my mind flirting with exotic ideas. While I didn’t know exactly where this would lead me, a quick Google turned up a good guide for nasi goring, or Indonesian fried rice. Now, all I had to do was totally bastardize it.

As much as this post is largely driven by the fact that I was quite pleased with the relative success of my culinary exploits, it’s completely dependent on the Fin and Flounder fishmonger in Broadway Market, one of the jewels in Hackney’s gastronomic crown. It is the best urban fishmonger I have ever set in foot in by an Irish mile: the crustaceans are still moving, the fish have that awesome ‘I’ve just been whacked’ look in their eyes, and staff are effortlessly helpful as well as knowledgeable.

My aquatic local, The Fishery on Stoke Newington High Street, is highly commendable and great to have down the road. But comparing it to Fin and Flounder is like equating Huong Viet with Viet Grill. The Fishery isn’t nearly as bad as Huong Viet, of course, but the gap between the two is comparable. If you haven’t been, you owe it to yourself and whoever you’re frying Blinky up for to make the trip to London Fields. They’re open most of the week so you don’t even have to run the risk of being blinded by a hipster’s beard at the weekend. If these words of praise don’t convince you, then the following picture certainly should…