Side dish for fish cutlets: options and recipes

October 12, 2018
Second courses
Irina Voloshina

Fish cutlets are a favorite dish for many; in some families they are even loved more than meat cutlets. In order for the dish to be complete, you need to prepare a delicious side dish for fish cutlets. The right combination of products will help reveal and highlight the taste of each ingredient.

How to choose the right side dish

The taste of the dish as a whole will depend on what the fish cutlets are served with. When choosing, you need to consider the following factors:

If the dish should be light and not very high in calories, then vegetables are used as a side dish. They can be stewed, sauteed or served fresh.
Read also: How to quickly marinate fish in vinegar
For a more satisfying meal, potatoes, rice porridge, couscous, pearl barley, and various legumes are more suitable.
If the cutlet recipe includes any additional ingredient (for example, zucchini for juiciness), then it should no longer be present in the side dish. Otherwise, it will have a bad effect on the taste of the dish.
The method of preparing the cutlets also affects the choice of side dish. Diet cutlets or steamed ones suggest that in addition to them various vegetables and salads are suitable. But you can serve fried ones with a spicy or fried side dish.
The type of fish should also be taken into account. For example, if you need to decide which side dish is best for fish cutlets made from pollock, opt for something quite filling, since the fish itself is not fatty.

These tips are not a requirement or rule. These are recommendations that will help make the dish better. And to follow them or not, everyone decides for themselves.

Rice as a side dish for fish cutlets

Very often, rice is served with both fish and fish cutlets. They go together perfectly and the dish turns out satisfying.

Rice porridge is not the only side dish option. Rice with vegetables is very popular. Clarification: the vegetables indicated in the recipe can be replaced with any others, depending on preference.

You will need half a bell pepper, 1 carrot, 1 onion (onion or shallot). Peel all vegetables and chop into small cubes. In a frying pan with a thick bottom, you need to heat a little vegetable oil and lightly sauté the vegetables. Add salt and spices to taste. You can add some hot pepper. Then add 1 cup of rice to the vegetables and pour in 2.5 cups of hot water. You can use broth to enhance the flavor, but this is not necessary. Reduce heat, cover and cook until the liquid has completely evaporated.

You can boil rice in the same proportion. When ready, add 1 tablespoon each of canned corn and peas.

Side dish for chicken rice cutlets

rice cereal - 0.3 kg;
water or chicken broth - 1 l;
carrots - 0.5 kg;
onions - 100 g;
garlic - 1 head;
bitter capsicum - 40 g;
sesame or other vegetable oil - 100 ml;
salt, pepper mixture - to taste.

Cooking method:

Wash the vegetables.
Peel the carrots and cut into thin pieces about 2.5–3 cm long.
Remove the skins and cut the onion into thin half rings.
Pour oil into a cauldron and heat it.
Place onion in oil and fry until golden brown.
Add carrots. Fry it, stirring, until it becomes almost completely soft.
Fill with water or broth.
Add spices and salt to taste.
Rinse the rice, place it in a cauldron, and smooth it out with a spoon.
Place a head of garlic in the center, drowning it in the rice. Stick a couple of hot peppers into the rice.
Cook the rice covered for half an hour until the water has completely evaporated. 10 minutes before readiness, you can remove the garlic and pepper and stir the rice.
After the rice is ready, wrap the cauldron with a towel and leave for 20 minutes to allow the side dish to steep.

Rice prepared in this way will be a good addition to minced chicken cutlets fried in a frying pan.

Potatoes on the side

Everyone's favorite side dish that goes with almost all foods. Fish cutlets will be especially tasty with mashed potatoes.

Peel one kilogram of potatoes. Cut the tubers in half, place in a saucepan and add water until it covers the contents. Add salt and cook until done. Then drain the liquid and mash the potatoes into a puree. In this case, you need to gradually add milk. One glass will be enough for this amount of potatoes.

Then add a little butter and beat the mass with a blender or mixer to obtain a smooth, smooth consistency. Place fish cutlets with mashed potatoes on a plate. Before serving, sprinkle with chopped herbs.

Another way to cook potatoes. Boil the tubers in their skins until fully cooked. Without peeling, cut into small slices. One potato should yield about 6 pieces. Salt and season the chopped potatoes, lightly sprinkle with vegetable oil and stir. Line a baking tray with baking paper and arrange the potatoes. It is advisable that the slices be located separately. Bake in a preheated oven for about 15-20 minutes until golden brown. You can season it with garlic.

White classic

The recipe for this sauce came to us from French cuisine; it is also not difficult to prepare. It sets off the pike meat well, making it richer and piquant.

You need to take:

0.5 liters of broth (real fish or prepared from cubes);
60 g butter;
40 g flour;
1 egg;
half a lemon for juice.

Step-by-step preparation:

In a frying pan with a thick bottom or in a saucepan, melt half the butter, add flour, fry a little.
Remove from heat, add broth to the mixture, stir until smooth.
Separate the yolk, add it to the mixture, add salt and pepper.
Heat over low heat until boiling, but do not let it boil.
Remove the sauce and cool slightly. Add the remaining oil and about a tablespoon of lemon juice.

Advice! The amount of citrus can be varied to suit your taste. They are also replaced with vinegar, but then the dish does not acquire a piquant aroma.

Vegetable side dish

If the question arises of what to cook as a side dish for fish cutlets, then vegetables have always been and remain a universal product. You can combine different types of them that are in the refrigerator.

For example, onions, carrots, sweet peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, asparagus. Depending on the method of preparing cutlets, vegetables can be sautéed, stewed, baked or steamed.

If desired, you can use ready-made frozen vegetable mixtures. A Mexican blend or broccoli florets with cauliflower work well. They can be cooked immediately without defrosting. Place in a frying pan with vegetable oil, season and simmer until done.

It is recommended to serve hot or warm.

Green beans with almonds

The result will be a very appetizing and aromatic, although not too cheap, side dish for fish cutlets. It’s better to take fresh beans, but if you don’t have them, frozen ones will do. It is cut, placed in salted water and quickly - no longer than five minutes - boiled and thrown away as soon as it has become soft, but has not had time to become soggy. Melt a spoonful of butter in a frying pan, add a spoonful of olive oil and throw in a grated clove of garlic. After a minute, when the aroma comes out, add chopped or crushed almonds. For three hundred grams of beans, you should take half a glass of nuts. Depending on your tastes, the quantity can be changed in any direction. With intensive stirring, this unusual fry is processed for a couple of minutes, after which the beans are placed in it. After another two minutes, the side dish for fish cutlets will be ready, the photo of which can decorate any culinary magazine. As seasonings, you can use any spices and herbs that do not conflict with the fish.

If you are not completely satisfied with the recipes we have proposed, try supplementing them with sauces and ketchups of your own making. Still, fish cutlets do not have a very strong taste, so such “decorations” would be very appropriate. And as a last resort, come up with something of your own, super unique, hyper exclusive and extremely tasty. Good luck with your experiments!

Vegetables in a sleeve for a side dish

Cooking in a sleeve allows you to make vegetables juicy and retain more nutrients. In addition, you can skip the oil and get a dietary side dish.

It is necessary to peel and cut the eggplant into rings. Salt it to remove the bitterness and leave for a couple of minutes. At this time, peel and coarsely chop potatoes, onions, carrots, and sweet peppers. Also divide the cauliflower into florets. Combine all the vegetables in a bowl, add salt and pepper and add 2-3 tablespoons of vegetable oil (you can do without oil). Mix everything well. Place vegetables in a roasting bag. Tie the edges of the sleeve and make several punctures with a toothpick in the upper part. Place in the oven for 35-40 minutes and bake at 200 degrees.

The proportions of the components can be adjusted at your own discretion. You can use other vegetables and add more seasonings.

Garnish of couscous with roasted peppers

Ingredients:

Multi-colored sweet peppers - 4 pcs.
Couscous – 400 g
Olive oil - 4 tbsp. + grease the peppers
Salt, freshly ground black pepper - to taste

Preparation:

Cut the peppers lengthwise into 2-3 parts, remove the stems with seeds and membranes. Brush the skins with olive oil and place the peppers on a parchment or foil-lined baking sheet.
Please note that they must be placed directly under a very hot grill.
Bake the peppers until the skins turn black.
Next, place the peppers in a bowl, cover with cling film and leave for 10 minutes. Then peel and cut into small cubes.
Pour 4 tbsp into the pan. l. butter, add couscous, salt and pepper, stir.
Prepare couscous according to package directions, stir with a fork and add roasted peppers.
Serve hot or cool.

Fresh vegetable salad

This is a good side dish for fish cutlets, especially in warm weather when there are a lot of seasonal vegetables. The result is a light, fresh dish.

Here are some salad recipes:

Wash the cherry tomatoes and cut them into halves (about 250 g). Cut the mozzarella into small pieces, chop the greens, cut the olives into rings. Mix all ingredients, add salt and season with vegetable oil. If you don't have cherry tomatoes, you can use regular ones.

Place a mixture of arugula, frisée or other leafy greens on a platter. Place halves of cherry tomatoes and olives on top. Mix olive oil with lemon juice and pour over salad. Season with salt and white pepper. You can make a mix of any chopped vegetables without sauces or dressings. This option is suitable for those who watch their figure.

Rice with corn and tomatoes

Ingredients:

Rice - 250 g
Tomatoes – 500 g
Canned corn - 1 can (350 g)
Onions - 2 pcs.
Hard cheese - 100 g
Butter - 80 g
Parsley - 1 bunch
Pepper, salt - to taste

Preparation:

Boil the rice in salted water.
Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables: drain the corn, dice the tomatoes and chop the onion.
Grate the hard cheese on a coarse grater, finely chop the parsley.
Next, fry the finished rice in butter, gradually adding onions, tomatoes and corn to it.
Simmer the resulting mixture for 5-10 minutes.
To finish cooking, add salt, pepper, sprinkle with cheese, stir and garnish with herbs.