Recipe of the day: traditional crispy fish and chips
Traditional fish and chips. Picture: iStock
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Start the week off with this delicious traditional crispy fish and chips recipe. If you do not have the patience to prepare your own homemade chips, then you can buy a packet of oven bake chips from your nearest grocery store. The whole dish takes about 30 min to prepare and complete.
Traditional crispy fish and chips
Traditional fish and chips. Picture: iStock
Ingredients
800g of unpeeled, even-size potato 2 tablespoons of olive oil 300g of frozen garden pea 1 tablespoon of olive oil 2 teaspoon of lemon juice 650g of skinless haddock, hake, or cod fillet, cut into 4 equal-size pieces 50g of self-raising flour 50g of corn flour 1 egg white 125ml of ice-cold sparkling water 1 lemon, cut into wedges 600ml of sunflower oil, for frying
To prepare the potatoes, scrub them and cut them first into 1.5cm slices, and then cut each slice into 1.5cm thick chips. Transfer the chips to a large saucepan and cover them with water. Once the water is boiling, lower the heat and leave to simmer for only four minutes, then drain, and transfer onto a clean cloth. Pat dry the chips and leave them to cool.
While the chips are cooling, set the oven to preheat to 220°C. Once heated, place a large, shallow non-stick tray, to which you’ve previously added one tablespoon of olive oil, into the oven and leave it to warm for 10 minutes.
Place the now cooled chips in a bowl and toss them with the remaining oil. Arrange them in a single layer on a hot tray and bake them first for 10 minutes, then turn them over and bake for another 5 minutes. Now, turn the chips a second time and bake them for 5-8 minutes until they crisp up then place them on a paper towel to drain.
While the chips are still baking, you can prepare the peas. Cook them in boiling water for 4 minutes. Drain them and transfer them to a bowl, then using the back of a fork, lightly crush them. Mix in the oil, lemon juice, and freshly grated pepper, then cover and set aside.
Put 1 tablespoon of flour on a plate and pat dry the fish fillets with paper towels. Coat each fillet in flour and pat off the excess.
Half-fill a heavy non-stick wok or a pan with oil and heat it to 200°C (use a thermometer to know when the oil reaches the desired temperature).
Dip fish fillets into the batter, making sure they are evenly coated, and then immediately place them in hot oil. Fry two fish fillets at a time for 5-6 minutes, turning them halfway through, all the time making sure the oil doesn’t fall or go above 200°C. Use a slotted spoon to take the fillets out of the oil and place them on a paper towel to drain. Repeat the process with the remaining fillets.
Separately combine 50g flour, corn flour, a pinch of salt, and some ground pepper, then in another bowl, whisk an egg white until it bubbles up. Next, pour the water into the flour mix, carefully whisking as you pour, then add the egg white and whisk just until it mixes into the batter, which should not be entirely smooth, and you want to make sure you keep as many bubbles as possible.
Reheat the peas and divide them between plates, then add to each a portion of fish, chips, and lemon wedges.
