4 large pieces of cod (or haddock)
1kg or 2½ lbs potatoes
Sunflower seed oil
Salt and fine white pepper to taste.
For the batter:
200g or 7 oz of plain flour
1 large egg
150ml or 5 fl oz of water and milk mixed (making 5fl oz total)
White pepper to taste
Method:
1. Peel the potatoes and cut them into chips. If you are not
going to cook them immediately then keep them covered in water
to stop them going brown.
2. Start to make the batter mixture by putting the flour into
a large bowl.
3. Whisk the egg and add (if you want) a maximum of 2
tablespoons of dark beer or 2 teaspoons of Worcestershire
sauce.
4. Now pour the whisked egg into the flour adding the
milk/water mixture and beat until smooth. Leave this to stand
for an hour.
5. Heat a deep pan, filled with enough oil to cover the chips,
until it is hot. (If you drop in a tiny piece of potato and it
immediately starts to fizzle then the oil is hot enough).
6. Heat a second pan of oil just deep enough to cover the
fish.
7. Individually put each fish fillet into the batter. Slide
the fish back and forth to cover with batter and lift out and
allow to drip for a second or two then repeat. This makes sure
the fish is completely covered in batter.
8. Lower a battered fish into the hot oil skin side to the
bottom of the pan to stop the fillet curling as it heats. Now
cook, one fillet at a time. After 5 minutes turn the fish over
and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes.
9. Repeat with the second fillet, keeping the first cooked
fillet warm in an oven.
10. Now put the chips in the pan to cook. Take care as the oil
might froth as the wet chips go in. This is quite normal but
be careful you do not burn yourself.
11. Carry on cooking the other two fillets and put them in the
oven to keep warm.
12. Lift out the chips when they reach a nice golden brown
colour and are cooked. Use a mesh spoon or similar to lift the
chips out, letting the oil drip back into the pan.
Serve on plates (or newspapers) with the fish nestling on a
bed of chips. Vinegar, salt and tomato sauce (ketchup) should
be available.
