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So after all the parsimoniousness of Lent we bought some Greek yoghurt and went crazy. The first part of that sentence is based on fiction alone. Indeed a fiction built on a fiction, but hey that’s a whole ‘nother thing. Having on previous Saturdays spent rather long periods of time at Borough Market and its fine pubs, we eschewed such pleasures and used what we had. Apart from the aforementioned Greek yoghurt.

Preparation time: 1 hour 40 minutes (inc 1 hour 15 for the dough to prove, if you’re making your own tortillas which of course you are…?) Cooking time: 15 minutes
Skill level: Medium
Serves: 2

Ingredients

Flour Tortillas

• plain white flour - 200g
• baking powder - 3tsp
• salt - 1tsp
• vegetable oil - 4tbsp
• warm water - 175ml

Salsa

• small red onion - finely chopped
• 3 tomatoes - skinned, seeded, finely chopped
• 2 red chillies - seeded, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• juice of 1/2 lime
• pinch of salt

Batter

• plain flour - 110g
• 1 egg
• water - 100ml

The rest

• filletted sea bream/sea bass/cod/haddock - 350g
• iceberg lettuce - 100g - shredded
• sour cream/greek yoghurt - 150ml
• 2 garlic cloves - crushed
• sunflower oil for frying - lots depending on how deep you fry

Firstly we make the tortillas. You can of course buy these but where’s the fun in that? So, mix the flour, salt and baking powder together. Add the oil then add the water. Stir it all together nicely and then knead for 3-5 minutes. Form into a ball and store in the fridge for an hour. Pinch off pieces of the dough, each of which will be an individual tortilla. Rest each pinchee for 15 minutes. Roll into 18cm circles and cook on a hot griddle pan just before you cook the fish. Put on a plate and keep warm in the oven while tastiness is prepared on the hob.

While your tortilla dough is doing time in the fridge, prepare the salsa. It’s quite easy. Put all the ingredients in a bowl. Mix together. Leave on the side until you’re ready to eat. The longer they are left the more the flavours will have melded. (2 tablespoons of chopped fresh coriander can also be added to mix, but only 50% of yumblog likes it so it’s not been given official billing).

And now to the fish and batter. Cut the fillets across into strips about 1cm wide and season with a good amount of salt and pepper. Next, mix all the batter ingredients together until smooth, using whichever super piece of kit you might have.

Pour sunflower oil into a pan to one third full. Heat to 190C, or, assuming you don’t have a thermometer specifically for measuring hot oil, until a piece of bread dropped into the oil browns and rises to the top in a minute.

Dip the fish strips in the batter and drop them in the hot oil. Fry for 4 minutes, until crisp and golden. Remove from pan and drain on kitchen paper.

It’s ready now. Remove the tortillas from the oven. Line with lettuce, fried fish, salsa and yoghurt/cream. Attempt to roll up, realise you’ve put too much in and resolve to be less greedy when you have your second one.

Eat messily with judicious use of napkin.

Verdict: There is something extra special about eating wrapped up things that you’ve put together yourself. The combination of flavours is excellent and the homemade tortillas actually have their own character rather than just being anodyne vessels.

Drink: It’s Easter so obviously the blood of Christ in the form of a tasty French red.

Entertainment: Life of Brian or Jesus of Nazareth or Mel Gibson’s catholic vanity project. But probably Blake’s Seven.