Perfect Beer Battered Fish & Chips With Homemade Tartare Sauce
Fish and batter recipe by Sue Pearson via SBS Food
Serves 4
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2 cups/300g/10.6ozs plain all purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
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500ml/1 pint dark beer
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1 tablespoon instant dried yeast
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1.5 teaspoons salt
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1 teaspoon olive oil
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4 potatoes (like Dutch cream), peeled
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canola oil for deep-frying
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4 flathead fillets-about 600g/1.3lbs
Tartare sauce
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2 polski orgorki whole dill pickles
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1 teaspoon capers, rinsed
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3-4 tablespoons good quality mayonnaise
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Finely grated zest from 1/2 a lemon
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1 teaspoon lemon juice
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Tabasco sauce (optional)
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salt and pepper to taste
Step 1 - Place the flour in a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Pour the beer into it gradually whisking all the time until you get a creamy mix. Add the yeast and whisk again and cover with cling film. Place in a warm, draught free area for 1.5 hours until bubbly and risen.
Step 2 - Meanwhile, make the tartare sauce to keep in the fridge. In a mini food processor or chopper, process the pickles and capers. Add the mayonnaise and process and then add the lemon zest, juice, Tabasco sauce and salt and pepper and mix to combine. Scrape into a serving cup, cover with cling film and place in the fridge.
Step 3 - Cut the potatoes into thick pieces-about 1.5 centimetres.
Step 4 - Heat the oil in a heavy based pot or wok to 190C/374F. Add the salt and olive oil to the batter mixture and stir to combine. Dip the potato chips into the batter and then into the hot oil-I find it easiest to submerge them about 3/4 of the way in and then gently let them go as this avoids dropping the items in and splashing yourself. Fry for 5 minutes until golden brown turning over. Drain on a wire rack in a single layer.
Step 4 - Place some flour in a wide bowl with sides and then dredge the fillets in the flour and then dip them in the batter. Fry the fish for five minutes, turning over halfway. Serve immediately with the tartare sauce, extra lemon, vinegar and salt.
Mr NQN and I were talking about superpowers. As you do when you're at home and watching True Blood. I asked him what sort of superpower he would like to have. He thought about it for a long time (he's so serious about these sorts of questions) before I interrupted him with an "Aha!! I know which one you'd like! The ability to google anything in your mind!"
He was extremely unimpressed to say the least at my suggestion. You see I had inadvertently pegged him as a nerd, which is sort of happens because of his job, but that was apparently taking matters a bit too far. Surprised at how he has reacted I offered him another one, the one that I would really like at times, particularly on the weekends: the ability to change the weather.
So let's scrap that as a super power and go with a new superpower. The ability to negate calories from deep fried food!
So tell me Dear Reader, which superpower would you like to have? And is googling in your head a lame superpower?