Haddock with tomato and olive salsa and crispy new potatoes

+ where to eat in Deal

Travelling back from the coast last weekend, straight into London in a heatwave, I questioned my life choices. Why, I thought, as we dragged our bags, buggy and sticky toddler through Stratford International station, would anyone choose to live here?

A week has passed, and the multiple tabs in my browser for Rightmove searches that threw up several significantly cheaper, significantly bigger, significantly more Instagrammable houses by the coast have been left unchecked for a few days.

We are staying put and putting up with our first-floor zone 3 two-bed. Although the pull to Move Out of London sometimes feels strong, there are a few reasons we’re not yet convinced.

• I don’t want to spend three days a week on a mammoth commute. I get tetchy when my 25-minute journey on the Elizabeth line is delayed.

• We love our local area with its cafés, friendly community of lovely people, and green space (let’s not mention the drug dealing and fly-tipping, OK?).

• Our best friends are all here. Lots of them have kids now, too. The prospect of our kids growing up together and becoming friends is mind-blowingly brilliant. I assume someone will eventually crack and give up on trying to live here but I’m not sure I want to be the first.

• We’re badly equipped to live outside of the city. Neither of us drive, and we’re used to being able to pop out for milk or nappies at 11pm. Is it just me that’s freaked out by the countryside? It’s so dark.

• Ummm… there are lots of trendy coffee shops, wine bars etc? Yes I’ve been told they have these outside of London but are they really as trendy?

As you can see, this is a silly list that makes no sense. But how does anyone make a big life decision like moving while raising a toddler anyway? I barely have the mental bandwidth to book a hair appointment.

While living by the sea remains a pipe dream, this week’s recipe is inspired by coastal flavours. It features flaky pan-fried haddock with a very easy tomato and olive salsa and crisped-up new potatoes. Happy cooking, wherever you are.

Haddock, tomato and olive salsa and crispy new potatoes

Serves 2

450g new potatoes
2 haddock fillets
2 large tomatoes (such as beef)
2 tbsp black olives, chopped
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp capers
Small handful of fresh basil, roughly chopped
A knob of butter
1/2 lemon, cut into wedges

Preheat the oven to 190C°C fan. Halve the new potatoes and place them on a baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and roast for 30-35 minutes, tossing halfway, until tender and golden.

Meanwhile, pat the haddock fillets dry and season with salt. Set aside.

Boil the kettle and pour boiling water over the tomatoes. Set aside for 3 minutes, then plunge into cold water. Gently peel away the skins. Dice and place in a bowl with the chopped black olives, balsamic vinegar, and capers. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Stir through the basil.

When the potatoes are almost done, cook the fish. Heat a splash of oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat. Place the fish fillets in the pan and cook, undisturbed, for 3-4 minutes (the exact time will depend on how thick your fish is). Gently turn over and add the butter. Cook, basting with the butter, for a further 2 minutes or until cooked through. The fish should be opaque and flake away with a fork.

Serve the fish with the salsa, the crispy potatoes and a lemon wedge on the side.

This tomato salsa also works well spooned over toasted sourdough or tossed through pasta.

Places we loved in Deal

• The Frog and Scot – lively bistro on the high street for relaxed small plates.

• Jenkins and Son for a seafood lunch (try the monkfish tacos), they also sell lovely fish curries to take back to your Airbnb.

• The Rose for an elevated pub lunch.

• Middle Street Fish Bar for next-level fish and chips (cash only, open Thursday, Friday and Saturday 5-8pm).

• Hut 55 for coffee and excellent cakes on the beach.

• The Blue Pelican (from the team at the Rose) for Japanese-inspired plates with the freshest seafood.

• Le Pinardier for a glass of wine and some people watching.

• Deal Deli, Arno and Co, and the Merchant of Relish for treats, coffees and provisions.

• Deal St Kitchen for brunch on the pier.