Fake Fish In Almond

Fish used to be an important part of the diet during fasting. However, this did not come from biblical tradition, but from Hippocrates’ humoral medicine. A key element of fasting was overall restraint. Fasting was not only abstaining from certain foods, but also a spiritual fast — holding back impulses, cultivating a kind of emotional “coolness,” letting go of anger, rashness, and sexual desire. Foods considered “cold” in nature, according to the medical classification of the time, were thought to help with this. All aquatic creatures were considered to have a calming, cooling nature. Stimulating foods included not only meat from land animals but also dairy products, which in Eastern European countries were also excluded during fasting. To this day in Ukraine, “fasting” means not only meatless but also dairy-free — no eggs, cheese, or butter.

Almonds were then much more popular and important than they are today. They were used (yes, even several hundred years ago!) to produce foods such as almond milk, almond butter, and almond cheese. Recipes like these can be found in cookbooks from centuries past. Almonds, like all dried fruits and nuts, were also symbols of prosperity, wealth, and success.

Chopped almonds
Almond flakes in an equal amount
50 to 100 g

Egg-free “omelet” batter

• 1/2 cup chickpea flour
• 1 heaping tablespoon ground flaxseed
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon black salt (kala namak)

Grind the flaxseed in a grinder. You can use pre-ground flaxseed, but remember that ground flax spoils quickly.

Mix all the omelet batter ingredients together. Add water in an amount sufficient to obtain a batter thicker than pancake batter — about 1/2 to 2/3 of the volume of the dry ingredients.
In a pinch, you can use only chickpea flour.

Mix the chopped almonds with the almond flakes.

Remove the soy “fish” pieces from the seaweed broth. Wrap them in pieces of nori, dipping them in the broth so that the nori sticks well to the soy protein. Dip them in the chickpea batter, then coat them in the almond mixture.

Fry in very hot oil — it should be almost at the smoking point. After a few minutes, carefully flip to the other side. Once fried, place the no-fish on a plate lined with a double layer of paper towels to absorb excess oil.

In our kitchen world, the best motivation is a tip. If you enjoy my recipes and would like more, you can leave me a tip.