BEER BATTERED FISH & CHIPS

Although you can use any beer you like, I followed the recipe & used pale ale. In my opinion, the ale added a delicious crisp, yet woody flavour and definitely was the result of a light & crispy batter. If you’re not a fan of beer, simply substitute with sparkling water.Tip: Make sure your beer or sparkling water is cold for a light batter. It took me about 45 minutes to 1 hour to prepare this classic meal for 4 people.

Ingredients:

For the chips

• Oil, for deep frying

• 1kg potatoes, peeled

For the batter

• 100g self-raising flour

• 100g cornflour

• 300ml pale ale (or any beer you like), well chilled

For the fish

• 4 x 150-175g hake fillets

• 2 tbsp flour, plain or self-raising

Method:

1. To make the chips, heat the oil for frying to 130-140°C. Cut the potatoes into chips and rinse them well. Pat as dry as possible using absorbent kitchen towel. Cook them, in a couple of batches if necessary, for about 10 min, or until they’re very lightly golden and feel tender almost all the way through. Lift them out of the oil and spread them out on a tray lined with absorbent kitchen towel and leave to cool. They can then be refrigerated and kept at this stage for several hours until ready to cook.

2. To make the batter, mix together the flours and salt and pepper in a bowl. Lightly whisk in the ale. Don’t worry if the batter is slightly lumpy, as it’s better not to over-mix it.

3. To prepare the fish, heat the oil to 180-190°C. Spoon the flour on to a plate and season it with salt and pepper. Pat the fish dry on kitchen towel, then dip it in the flour to coat, tapping off any excess. Dip the fish into the batter to coat it completely and carefully lower into the hot oil, taking care in case it splatters. Cook the fish for 4-5 min, then turn it and cook for a further 2-4 min, until the fish has an even colour. If necessary, cook the fish in 2 batches and keep the first batch warm while cooking the second. Keep the fish warm while cooking the chips.

4. Return the chips to the pan, with the oil at 180-190°C and cook for 4-5 min or until they’re golden and cooked through. Drain well and serve immediately with the fish, along with some salt & vinegar.