Recipe: McDonald’s “Worst Item” Inspired Justin Narayan’s Fried Fish Sando with Curry Tartare

Justin Narayan’s debut cookbook, Everything is Indian is packed with the family recipes he grew up eating in a Fijian-Indian household in western Sydney.

This isn’t one of them.

Instead, the Masterchef winner’s fried fish sando takes inspiration from,“the worst item at McDonald’s”, better known as the humble Filet-O-Fish. “A good fish sandwich is killer, one of the most underrated sandwiches there is. It’s simple: just good, flaky, juicy fish, shredded lettuce and loads of tartare sauce,” Narayan writes.

His take on the genre doesn’t stray far from the tried and true formula above. He recommends using hake or snapper, but says you can sub in frozen fish fingers “if you’re feeling lazy”.

Put in some effort, though, when it comes to the curry-spiked tartare. As Broadsheet columnist Gemma Plunkett discovered, a tartare made from scratch really is the special sauce in this recipe. It’ll keep in the fridge for up to a week.

“The homemade version is creamier, lighter and all the herbs and pickles give it texture,” Narayan writes. “It makes the sandwich.”

Justin Narayan’s Fried Fish Sando with Curry Tartare

Serves 2
Total preparation and cook time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 2 hours

Ingredients

½ cup (75 g) plain (all-purpose) flour
1 egg, lightly beaten
¾ cup (45 g) Japanese (panko) breadcrumbs
2 fillets of your favourite white, flaky fish (hake or snapper work well)
Neutral high smoke point oil, for deep-frying
Flaky sea salt, to season

Tartare Sauce
¼ cup (60 ml) Whole Egg Mayo
1 tsp Dijon mustard
30 g gherkins, roughly chopped
2 tbsp capers, rinsed and drained
½ French shallot, roughly chopped
¼ bunch of fresh dill, roughly chopped
2 tsp lemon juice (from about ¼ lemon)
1 tsp store-bought chilli paste
½ tsp curry powder
1 garlic clove, crushed

To Serve
15 g unsalted butter
2 brioche buns, halved horizontally
¼ iceberg lettuce, shredded or roughly chopped

Method

To make the tartare sauce, mix together all the sauce ingredients, taste and season with salt.

Get three bowls and place the flour, egg and breadcrumbs in their own bowl.

Pat dry the fish with a paper towel, then season each side of the fillets with a small pinch of salt and pepper.

Dip each fillet in the flour, turning over a few times, until lightly and evenly coated. Douse in the egg, again ensuring it’s evenly coated.

Finally, place in the breadcrumbs until well covered (this will give you a crunchy
texture).

Heat the oil in a cast iron frying pan over medium heat or a deep fryer to 170–180°C (if you don’t have a probe, put a wooden spoon in the oil. If small bubbles appear around the spoon, it’s ready).

Line a plate with a paper towel.

Gently place the crumbed fish in the pan or deep fryer and fry until golden brown, about 1–2 minutes each side.

Drain the finished crumbed fish on the paper towel- lined plate. Hit it with a generous pinch of flaky sea salt.

Heat the butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Toast the cut side of the bun halves until golden brown.

To assemble, spread some tartare sauce over the base of each bun, then layer the lettuce and a piece of fish. Add more tartare sauce on top (as much as your heart
desires).

Close your sandwich, take a bite and try to remember a time when you had a better fish sandwich.

Tip

The tartare sauce will keep in the fridge for up to 1 week.

This is a lightly edited extract from Everything is Indian by Justin Narayan with Nicholas Jordan ($39.99). Released March 4, 2025 by Murdoch Books.