Crispy fish sliders with pickled cucumber and harissa mayo

By Diana Henry, James Beard award winner   –   The Telegraph

You can’t go to New York and not have a slider. If you don’t want to make your own pickled cucumber then buy a jar. Other hot sauces – such as chipotle – can be used but add to taste as they all vary in heat (and they’ll all give you different results).

SERVES

4

INGREDIENTS

For the cucumber:

• ½ cucumber
• ¼ tbsp sea salt flakes
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1½ tbsp caster sugar

For the mayonnaise:

• 125g quality mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp double cream
• 1 tsp harissa

For the sliders:

• 75g fresh white breadcrumbs
• ¼ tsp ground cumin
• ¼ tsp ground paprika
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 4 x 125g white fish fillets, skin removed
• 4 burger buns, halved
• 4 tbsp oil, for frying
• About 8 baby gem lettuce leaves
• 1 large avocado, halved, stoned and sliced
• 2 tomatoes, sliced
• Handful coriander sprigs (tough stalks removed)
• Juice of 2 limes

METHOD

Cut the cucumber into fine, almost transparent slices. Layer in a colander with the salt, place a plate on top and set over a bowl for an hour so the juices run out.

Rinse and carefully pat dry. Mix with the vinegar and sugar and keep covered  in the fridge.

Stir together the mayonnaise ingredients.

Preheat the oven to 180C/gas mark 4.

Mix the breadcrumbs, spices and some seasoning in a bowl and put the eggs in another bowl.

Leave thick fish pieces that are small enough to fit the buns, but cut longer, thinner fillets in two.

Dip the fish into the egg  and then the breadcrumbs. Heat the buns on a tray  in the oven.

Heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the fish on each side until golden on the outside (about a minute each side). Turn the heat down and cook through to the middle (about another minute on each side).

Fill the buns with the mayo, lettuce, fish, more mayo, cucumber, avocado, tomato and coriander, then dress with lime juice. They will be tall! Serve immediately..