Ooops I did it again, blah blah blah blah, dah diddy dah, I like it like that.

No, I am not magically transporting you back to the year 2000 to a chart topping hit for a drunkard white trash caravan park kid, and I certainly won’t be hitting the stage in a red lycra onesie any time soon. It is more a statement from me to you declaring that I cooked another cracker of a Monday dinner last night. That’s right, I cooked another great dinner and I am man enough to admit it! Must be a little early Christmas cheers getting to me…

I know Monday is doomsday for a lot of people; the start of a new working week, packing school lunches, getting the family back into the week day routine, kids yelling, you yelling, and finally being able to take a sip from the bottle of gin you have hidden in your knickers drawer. Not for me though, I’m Chirpy McChirples on a Monday. Make the lunches, drop the kids at school, have a coffee, catch up with any cooking show watching I may have missed out on the past week, have a little sip of that gin in my knickers drawer, then spend the afternoon immersed in mis en place, a nice piece of meat, pots and pans, and maybe a beer or two, cooking dinner for my favourite peeps in the world… my family. Some times they even show up, which makes it all the more enjoyable. Yes, I am loving the Monday arvo cook-ups like the drunken mother loves the ease of a chip sandwich and cold baked beans dinner. Baaayoootiful luvvvie.

…and it just so happens that this week I have a few fillets of local snapper in the fridge, which is pretty much my favourite fish ever, so I know this cook up already has a kick-ass head start. You might not be able to get fresh snapper, hell, you might not even like snapper (what are you? Another snapper??), so use whatever fish is fresh, affordable for you (even I know Christmas is coming) and most importantly, a fish that your taste buds tell your brain tastes good.

SNAPPER WITH SAUTEED POTATOES, GREEN BEANS, OLIVES, TOMATO & WHITE ANCHOVIES (serves 4)

4x 180g snapper fillets, or whatever fish you like to eat, just make sure it’s fresh!! (you could also use 700-800g whole fillet of fish and cook it on the BBQ or even oven bake it at 200C for 15 or so minutes)

5 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges

200g green beans, trimmed

1 clove garlic, chopped

zest ½ lemon

juice 1 lemon (zest ½ of it first)

2 tomatoes, diced

½ cup olives

12 white anchovy fillets

1 handful parsley, chopped

seasoning

• Put the potatoes into a pot of water and simmer for 5 minutes or until almost cooked. Strain
• In a large pan on a medium heat, sauté the potatoes in a good splash of oil. Toss regularly
• While potatoes are cooking get the fish on. In a pan big enough to fit all of the fish, heat a splash of oil over medium heat. Season fish on the skin side and place skin side down in the pan. Cook the fish for 3 minutes on the skin side, by which stage it should be getting crisp. Turn the fish and reduce heat to low for another 2 or so minutes (unless it is a thick fillet in which case you’ll need to give it a couple more). Turn the pan of and let the residual heat finish the fish nice and gently
• While the fish is resting finish the vegetables. Add the green beans to the pan and sauté for another 2 minutes, then add olives, tomato and garlic and turn heat off. Add lemon zest and parsley and toss. Check seasoning. Dress with a squeeze of lemon juice and olive oil if it needs it
• Serve on plates or bowls or bricks or tiles (as is now the vogue), with the sautéed veg down first, drape that with a few anchovies and then top with the fillet of fish