Fish and... guacamole?

Yep, it probably sounds odd, but trust me, it's fantastic. The aunt is visiting from Kiev and apparently it's a combination that Ukrainians love, so we made our own version. It looks something like this:

Use 1 or 2 whitefish filets per diner. We used the thin whitefish that Costco sells. Soak the fish in buttermilk for 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare a dredge with cornmeal, salt, pepper, and Old Bay seasoning. I don't use exact proportions on such things. I just put cornmeal in the pan and add the spices until it looks about right. Put a 12 inch skillet on medium heat with about 1/4" of canola oil, for pan-frying. Once the oil is hot, dredge the filets in the cornmeal mixture to coat, shake off any excess, and pan-fry, no more than 3-4 at a time. The oil has to remain hot to get the crust crispy, and too much food will cool it too rapidly. It should take about 3 minutes per side to get the crust finished and slightly browned. Drain the fish on a cooling rack suspended over a pan. When the fish are all pan-fried, I put them in our oven on "warm" to keep them nice and toasty while we make the guacamole.

For the guacamole, use one avocado and add about a cup total of diced onion, diced red pepper, and diced tomato (seeded), plus a bit of salt, pepper, and about a half lemon worth of juice to add flavor and keep the avocado from browning.

We served the fish with the avocado on the side, but I suppose we could have gotten all fancy and plated the fish on top of a guacamole bed with all sorts of other fun garnishes. If I wanted to. I'd rather eat.

This meal goes well with a slightly sweet white wine, like a riesling. We served with a chenin blanc-based white.