Fish & Chips

I’ve designated Thursday as my Western food day.

The husband was getting bored with the usual Chinese menu that was being turned out every other day — I’ve not been too inspired and my helper, who does most of the cooking these days is able to whip up most of the regular dishes with minimal instruction so I’ve been letting her.

But recently I’ve been itching to get back into the kitchen and I’ve decided that Thursdays will be the day when we eat something different.

This week I decided to make Fish & Chips.

DD had his doubts about whether I could pull it off but he wisely kept his counsel and was very encouraging when I told him the day’s menu. Well, he should be since the Fish & Chips was more for him than it was for me! I had an old recipe that I had torn out of the Today paper more than a year ago and I thought I’d give it a shot cos it sounded really easy.

And whaddya know, the fish came out PERFECT!

The batter was crisp and light and not greasy. I couldn’t believe it myself. Ironically the chips — instant as they were — turned out terrible cos I’d baked them a bit early and they were dried out by the time DD got home and was ready to eat.

DD was so impressed (by the fish of course, not the chips) that he declared this a must-repeat. Here’s the recipe as written in case anyone else wants to try it out!

Fish & Chips
Serves 3-4

1 packet sutchi fillet, thawed
(I used sole fillet, and cut the huge piece into 4 pieces)
2 litres of vegetable oil
1 1/4 cups plain flour
1 cup beer or soda water
2 egg whites
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt
Malted vinegar
Tartar sauce

1. Pour the oil into a deep wok or deep fryer and heat to 190 degrees C.
2. In a clean dry bowl, whisk the egg whites to soft peaks.
3. In another bowl, combine 1 cup flour, the beer or soda water, and a pinch of salt to form a smooth batter.
4. Fold the egg white gently into the batter and set aside.
5. Mix the remaining 1/4 cup flour, salt and paprika and place on a plate.
6. One by one, dip both sides of the fish fillets in this flour mixture to coat evenly, then shake off any excess flour.
7. Again, one by one, dip the floured fish fillets into the batter and then place them in the hot oil.
8. Fry for a minute or two on each sde until golden brown, then drain on kitchen paper.
9. When all your fish are fried, ensure that the oil is hot enough again and then fry the French fries.
10. Drain on kitchen paper and set aside.
11. Portion the fish and chips onto individual serving plates and serve sprinkled with malted vinegar and tartar sauce on the side.

Tip: Ensure that the oil is hot enough before frying. This will ensure that the batter is crisp and the fish and fries are not greasy. To test, drop a drop of batter into it. If batter creates bubbles and rises to the surface, the oil is hot enough.

Enjoy!