English Fish and Chips

Ingredients:
4 fillets of firm white fish, like haddock, hake or cod.
170g flour
5ml bicarbonate of soda
1 small bottle or can of beer, 330-340ml
juice of 1 lemon
salt and pepper to season
extra flour to dredge the fish fillets
1.4kg potatoes, peeled and cut into chunky sized chips
sunflower oil to fry

Method:
Heat the oil in a chip pan or deep fat fryer to 190 C.

Prepare the chips and rinse and dry thoroughly.

Fry the chips for 3-4 minutes until soft but not coloured. Shake, drain well and set aside. Allow the oil to cool or lower the fat fryer temperature to 160 C.

Put some flour on a plate to dredge the fish fillets. Take the fillets, one at a time, and ensure they are covered with flour. It is important that the fish is covered with flour as it stops the batter slipping off when frying. Leave the fish fillets in the flour while making the batter.

Normally the batter should be made one hour before you use it, but if this is not convenient, use it as soon as you have made it. I find that standing the batter makes it fluffy and crispy when frying.

To make the batter, put flour, bicarb, salt and pepper into a large bowl. Add the beer gradually, whisking as you go until you have a thick coating batter. What ever beer is left is for the chef. Whisk the batter thoroughly until it is smooth and free of lumps. Add the lemon juice and mix thoroughly again.

Have newspaper - the traditional receptacle for fish and chips - or plates ready for serving.

Ensure your oil has cooled to 160 C. Once the oil temperature is suitable for fish frying, take one fillet of fish at a time, holding it by the tail or thin end, swirl it around the batter until it is well coated and plunge it immediately into the hot fat. As soon as it has crisped up and set, add the other fillets, one at a time, taking out the first fillets as they cook - about 6-10 minutes depending on the size and thickness. Place onto a paper lined tray and keep warm in the oven while finishing the cooking of the rest of the fillets.

Turn up the heat setting for your fryer to 190 C and cook the chips until golden and crisp.

Serve on newspaper - or plates -  with salt and vinegar or with fish and chip shop curry gravy.

Cook's Tip

This batter is great to use for small fish goujons, chicken goujons or tempura vegetables.