Ingredients
- 1 x big fillet of cod
- 6 x maris piper potatoes (medium sized)
- 2 cups Plain flour plus spare for dredging
- 3 x eggs
- Bakers yeast
- 2 Lemons
- Splash of White wine vinegar
- 1 bottle of craft Beer
For the Tartare Sauce:
- Cornichon
- Shallots
- Capers
- Cornflour
Method
Beer Batter:
Chefs tip: Fermentation with yeast and beer.
Add 2 cups of plain flour, a pinch of salt and a pinch of cornflour to a mixing bowl.
Break up some fresh yeast with your fingers and add to the bowl.
Add Beer, a little at a time and whisk as you add.
Always add wet to dry until you have a consistency of pancake mix – not too thick.
Place the bowl somewhere warm, at around 20 – 30 degrees for half an hour to allow the yeast to activate.
Tartare Sauce:
Firstly, squeeze the juice of one lemon into a mixing bowl. Add one egg, a tablespoon of white wine vinegar, a pinch of salt and sunflower oil – the oil must be added in a thin stream, otherwise you will overload the emulsification process – and whisk constantly until the mayonnaise takes shape. Taste to season. Add to the bowl the shallots, cornichons, baby capers and some shredded parsley. Mix well and then place into the fridge until you’re ready to serve.
Triple cooked chips:
Tip: use floured potatoes, ideally Maris Pipers
Start by peeling and squaring off the potatoes, this will prevent them from slipping around.
Cut the potatoes into chips.
Rinse the chips in some cold water, this will help pull out some of the starch, leaving you with a fluffier chip.
Place the chips into a pan of cold water, add some salt and heat until simmering, on a stove. Once simmering, for around 5 minutes, remove from the heat and cool.
Cod:
Remove the head.
Remove the collar
Using the correct knife, fillet the cod by running your knife along one side of the backbone, then repeat on the other side.
Break up the Skeleton and set aside for fish stock.
Next, remove the chips from the water, lay on a baking tray and chill in the fridge.
Cut the fish into large, 200g pieces.
Place the chilled chips into a pan of hot oil – the oil should be 150C / 300F
Cook until they start to feel crispy, without having too much colour. Remove and place onto a baking tray and allow to rest.
Next, dredge the fish in salt, flour and then the batter.
Lower each piece of fish into hot oil – the temperature should be 170C / 340F – by moving the fish as you lower it. Remove the fish from the oil, once crispy and place on to a wire rack. Whilst the fish is still hot, sprinkle over salt.
Next, carefully place the chips back into the hot oil at 370C.
Remove the chips and place onto a cloth, to absorb any excess fat. Season the chips whilst they’re hot.
Serve.