Breaded Fish Fillets with Carottes Étuvées au Beurre (Carrots Braised in Butter) and September Beauties from the Garden

Now that the summer has come to a close, the fall has come upon us. Although the summer is gone, one can still see flowers in brightly lit colors of the fall. I took my camera and decided to take a walk around my gardens. I saw nature's great fall presence or September Beauties, as I like to call them. I wanted to photograph them before the ground begins to harden. Once it does, we say, "Until we meet again next spring!".



I don't know the names of the flowers in the pictures I have taken, but there were so many vibrant colors that spoke to me--I simply couldn't resist posting them up.



Although it's hard to say goodbye to nature's summer blossoms, it is always an experience to embrace the promise of the fall's beauty.



Carottes braisées au beurre are a classic French side dish. The natural sweetness of the carrots, accentuated with a pinch of sugar, goes perfectly with breaded fish fillets or roasted meats.
from The French Chef Cookbook by Julia Child



Ingredients for breaded fish fillets:

• 4 fish fillets (tilapia or basa fish)
• 3-4 tablespoons plain flour
• 1 medium egg, lightly beaten
• About 100g fine, fresh breadcrumbs ,
• A pinch of cayenne pepper or hot smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon very finely chopped parsley
• Grapeseed oil for frying
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Ingredients for braised carrots:

•  1 1/2 lbs carrots, peeled and quartered
•  1 T sugar (to develop the flavor), you can substitute brown sugar or honey for the white sugar
•  1 1/2 c water
•  1 1/2 T butter
•  1/2 tsp salt
•  pinch of pepper
• parsley or thyme for garnish

Instructions for breaded fish fillets:
Put the flour on a plate and season it well. Pour the beaten egg into a shallow dish. Put the breadcrumbs on another plate and season them with a little salt and a pinch of cayenne or paprika, or the parsley leaves, if you like.
Working with one fillet at a time coat the whole fish with the flour and shake off excess flour. Then dip the fillet in the eggs cover all sides and lift to drain any excess. Lastly place it in the breadcrumb mixture, cover all sides and shake to remove extra.
Heat frying pan with oil. Add the fillets and cook on each side for 3-4 minutes until golden/brown. When cooked place fillets on a plate lined with paper towels to drain any oil and serve immediatly.
Garnish with slices of lemon.



Instructions for braised carrots with butter:
In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, place the carrots and enough water just to cover them. Add the sugar, butter, salt and pepper bring to a boil over medium heat.
Reduce heat to low and simmer gently, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the carrots are cooked through and the water has almost evaporated out.
Toss the carrots with the additional butter, add some herbs, adjust seasoning and serve.