Let’s Get Battered – Fish and Chip Supper

Let’s Get Battered – Fish and Chip Supper with Cod or Haddock

INGREDIENTS

Cod or Haddock (2) sourced from Rex Down Fish Merchants

Batter Mix

Potatoes for Chippies – Peel and cut into ½ inch thick chips

Mushy Peas – open the tin and place into a microwavable dish ready to “ping” cook for the time on the tin usually up to 2 minutes.

Lemon – cut into quarters

Tomato Ketchup and Vinegar

Large Spanish Onion – peel, leave whole and carefully cut into thick rings

Pickled Onions

FROM YOUR STORECUPBOARD

Oil for Frying YOU WILL NEED ENOUGH FOR YOUR FAT FRYER/DEEP FRYING PAN

Flour to coat the fish in

Salt and Pepper as required

METHOD

1] If you are making oven chips you will need to preheat your oven to 200C/FAN180C, put your baking tray in the oven whilst you prepare your chippies.  Peel and cut your potatoes into thick chips, dry the chips from any moisture then drop them into a bowl drizzle with oil enough to coat them when you give the bowl a shake.  Carefully remove your hot baking tray from the oven and tip the chips evenly onto it, return to the oven and cook for approx. 20 minutes.  Check halfway to see if they need turning over.  I actually have a mesh oven tray and I don’t need to turn them as they cook evenly.

2] Prepare your fish – dry your fish on kitchen towel and lightly coat in plain flour best way is to actually put the flour into a bag add the fish a piece at a time and gently shake to cover in flour you will need approx. 1 tablespoon of flour to start with for the first piece.  Once coated remove and place on a flat plate whilst you do the other piece adding more flour if required.

3] For perfect Chip-Shop Batter every time, follow these simple steps:

Pre-heat the fat or oil in a deep fat fryer to 170°C. SEE BELOW IF YOU WANT TO DEEP FRY YOUR CHIPS

Empty the contents of the batter mix into a mixing bowl. Add 280ml (1/2 pint) of cold water and whisk until the batter is smooth.

4] Dip your fish into the batter to coat fully and carefully place in the hot fat or oil and fry until the batter is golden, and the food is thoroughly cooked.  If you want an idea of timings this will take approx. 7 minutes and using a slotted spoon you will need to turn it once to evenly cook it.

5] Remove the fish from the deep fat fryer with a slotted spoon and place onto a plate lined with a piece of kitchen paper to allow the excess oil to be removed Allow to drain and cover with greaseproof paper while you finish cooking your deep-fried chips

6] Heat your mushy peas in the microwave following the instructions on the tin.  Serve with condiments as required, vinegar, tomato ketchup and lemon.

IF YOU ARE FRYING YOUR CHIPS PLEASE READ If you are frying your chips in the deep fryer, you put them into the deep fat fryer for approx. 2 minutes before you cook the fish.  You don’t want them to brown just to start to cook, before you cook the fish, remove them from the fat and drain set aside whilst you cook the fish.

After you have removed the fish return the chips to the deep fat fryer and cook for approx. 5 minutes until they are golden and cooked, remove from the oil and drain.  Sprinkle with salt whilst hot and keep warm whilst you are cooking the onion rings.

IF YOU ARE COOKING ONION RINGS DO THESE LAST – dip the onion in batter and carefully put into the hot oil once the chips are removed, these take approx. 4 minutes to cook.