Preparation

Cut fish into 12 pieces and season with salt and pepper. Place eggs and flour in separate shallow bowls. Dip fish in eggs, then dust in flour, shaking off excess. Place on an oven tray lined with baking paper and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
Place a large frying pan over high heat and fill with 3 cm oil. Cook fish for 4 minutes each side or until golden brown and just cooked. Remove fish with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel. Reserve pan with oil.
To make pickled onions, place reserved pan over medium heat and cook onions for 3 minutes or until softened; don’t allow to brown. Add bay leaves, curry powder, turmeric and 2 tsp salt, and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant. Stir in vinegar, sugar and peppercorns, bring to the boil and cook for 5 minutes. Combine flour and 60 ml water in a small bowl, then slowly stir into onion mixture until slightly thickened.
Spread one-third of the pickled onions over a large baking dish and layer half the fish on top. Spoon over half of the remaining onions and layer remaining fish on top. Top with remaining onions. Allow to cool, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Ingredients

  • 1 kg firm, white-fleshed fish fillets, such as ling, cod or gemfish, pin-boned
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • plain flour, to dust
  • vegetable oil, to fry
  • Pickled onions
  • 4 large onions, sliced into thick rings
  • 6 bay leaves, torn in half
  • 2 tbsp curry powder
  • 1 tbsp ground turmeric
  • 750 ml (3 cups) brown vinegar
  • 110 g (½ cup) brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp black peppercorns
  • 1 tbsp plain flour