COOKING WITH KARZ: Deep-fried fish fillets, coleslaw and wine for lovers

Valentine’s is not about grand gestures and loud declarations. It is about closeness. Fingers brushing. Lips meeting. Sharing something warm, crisp and delicious, while the sun dips low and the world slows down just for you two.

Tonight, you are not cooking to survive. You are cooking to seduce. To feed, touch and linger.

Deep-fried fish fillets, coated in golden breadcrumbs, crisp on the outside, tender and moist inside.

Cool, creamy coleslaw on the side, sweet and sharp, whispering against the heat of the fish.

A pinch of lemon to wake every sense and wine, slow, dark and honest, to loosen tongues and deepen eyes.

This is a lovers’ snack. Light enough to tease, rich enough to satisfy, intimate enough to share bite by bite.

The fish lies there, pale and obedient, waiting to be dressed. You dip it into beaten egg, slick and glossy and then roll it in breadcrumbs until it wears a coat of gold.

You lower it into hot oil and listen to the sizzle, that soft, urgent sound that says, “come closer”.

The crumbs darken, turn amber, then deep gold. You lift the fillets out, oil dripping, surfaces crisp, insides soft and yielding. When you break one open, steam escapes like a sigh.

Beside it, the coleslaw is cool, creamy, indulgent. Cabbage shredded fine, carrots streaked through like blush on skin, onions sharp and honest.

Mayonnaise wraps everything in silk, a quiet, slow kiss that lingers on the tongue.

Then the wine, deep red or pale gold, depending on your mood. It catches the fading light, glows in the glass, trembles when you lift it. You clink. You sip. You look at each other differently.

TIP • Feed each other. Food tastes different when someone else places it on your lips.

INGREDIENTS

Fish Fillets: • 500g fish fillets (tilapia, cod or any firm white fish) • 1 cup breadcrumbs • 2 eggs, beaten • ½ cup flour • Salt and black pepper • Oil for deep frying • Lemon wedges for serving

COLESLAW • 2 cups shredded cabbage • 1 medium carrot, grated • ½ small onion, thinly sliced • ½ cup mayonnaise • 1 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar • Salt and a pinch of sugar

TO SERVE

• A bottle of wine • Soft music and a quiet sunset

METHOD

1. Season the fish fillets with salt and black pepper. Touch each piece, feel its softness, know that soon, it will become something irresistible.

2. Set up three bowls: flour, beaten eggs and breadcrumbs. Coat each fillet in flour, dip it into the egg, then roll it in breadcrumbs until fully covered.

3. Heat oil in a deep pan until hot but not smoking. Gently lower the fish into the oil and fry until golden, crisp and beautiful. Remove and drain on paper towels.

4. For the coleslaw, mix cabbage, carrot and onion in a bowl. Stir in mayonnaise, lemon juice or vinegar, salt and a pinch of sugar. Chill slightly so it stays cool and creamy against the hot fish.

Now take your plates outside. Let the sky blush and fade. Sit close enough that knees touch, shoulders lean, breaths mix. Place a fillet on your lover’s plate. Let them do the same. Squeeze lemon over the fish. Watch it glisten. Break a piece with your fingers. Feel the crunch. Dip it into the creamy coleslaw. Lift it slowly to their lips. Watch them open their mouth, watch their eyes never leave yours.

You take a sip of wine, let it linger, then lean in so they can taste it on your lips. The fish is crisp, the slaw cool, the wine warm and slow. Fingers brush. Crumbs fall. Time stretches.

This is not a rushed meal. This is foreplay for the soul.

Valentine’s is about feeding each other, with food, with attention, with silence that feels full. So sit there until the sun disappears, until the wine is gone, until the plates are empty and your fingers are lightly salted with crumbs and lemon.

Love does not have to be loud. Sometimes it is just two people, a plate of golden fish, a bowl of creamy slaw, a glass of wine, and the quiet, dangerous intimacy of feeding each other under a fading sky.