Za’atar Fried Fish with Preserved Lemon Tartare

An earth-shatteringly crisp plate of fish and chips may seem like a meal you need to find outside your own kitchen. But the classic dish is actually easier to pull off at home than you think—and this recipe for za’atar fried fish with preserved lemon tartare from The Modern Spice Rack, a new cookbook by Rachel Walker and Esther Clark, proves it.

For the uninitiated, za’atar is a Middle Eastern spice blend of toasted sesame seeds, dried sumac and dried herbs. It’s aromatic, nutty and earthy with notes of citrus, making it an optimal seasoning for seafood. “Za’atar’s citrusy notes…work particularly well with fish,” explain the authors. “The addition of chopped preserved lemon to the tartare gives it an intensely lemony flavor, but you can swap this for finely grated lemon zest, if you like.”

The fish is chilled after being breaded, which allows the egg to set with the flour, resulting in breading that adheres better once fried. This will also keep the fish from being overcooked, so you’re guaranteed chippy-caliber results every time.

^{Excerpted with permission from The Modern Spice Rack by Rachel Walker and Esther Clark published by Hardie Grant Books, May 2023.}