This is based on a recipe I developed for my In Search Of Perfection television series. It's actually pretty easy to make and not only will it impress whoever you are cooking for, it is really delicious. And do have a go with the atomiser... it makes a difference, I promise.
Beer and vodka battered fish and chips recipe(Serves 4)
Making this batter is easy, but it needs to chill for half an hour in the fridge, after which speed is the name of the game in order to keep the bubbles in. For best results, you will need a soda syphon.
Ingredients
- 200g plain flour
- 200g white rice flour, plus extra for dusting
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp honey
- 300ml vodka
- 300ml lager
- 2-3 litres groundnut oil (for frying)
- 4 large turbot fillets, 2-3cm thick (ideally, get 1 whole turbot weighing 2.5kg and either fillet it yourself, or get the fishmonger to do it)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Thick slices of lemon for garnish
Method
Tip the plain flour, rice flour and baking powder into a bowl.
Put the honey and vodka into a jug, stir and add to the flour to create a batter mix. Stir the lager into the batter until just combined. It doesn't matter if the consistency is a little lumpy.
The most important thing is to open the lager just before stirring and transferring to the siphon, to retain as many bubbles as possible. Transfer the batter to a jug, then pour it into a syphon. Charge the syphon with three CO₂charges and put it in the fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes.
Put enough groundnut oil to cover the fish in a large pan or casserole. Heat it to 220°C, using a digital probe to check the temperature. (It's best not to use a deep-fat fryer for this because the temperature fluctuates too much and has trouble reaching 220°C.)
Rinse the turbot fillets and dry them with kitchen paper. Season well, then dust with rice flour. (This ensures the batter sticks to the fillets.) Shake off any extra flour.
Shake the syphon vigorously, then squirt the batter into a medium-sized bowl, enough to cover a fillet. (Don't squirt out too much: the batter begins to lose its bubbles as soon as it leaves the syphon.) Dip the fillet into the foamy batter. When it is completely coated, lower the fillet into the hot oil.
As the fish fries, drizzle a little extra batter over it to give a lovely crusty exterior. When it has turned a light golden brown, turn the fillet over and drizzle more batter on top.
Let the fish cook for another minute or so until it has coloured to a deeper golden brown, then remove it from the oil. Use a digital thermometer to check it is cooked: insert the probe into the thickest part of the fish - once it reads 40°C the fillet should be set aside so that the residual heat will cook it to a temperature of 45°C.
Serve with lemon.
For the chips
- 1.2kg Arran Victory or Maris Piper potatoes
- 2-3 litres groundnut (peanut) oil
- Table salt and sea salt
Wash and peel the potatoes, then cut them into chips about 1.5cm thick (don't worry too much about making them all the same size: the variation will give a greater range of textures).
Place them in a bowl under cold running water for 2-3 minutes to rinse off some of the starch, then drain.
Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil (add 10g of salt per litre of water), add the chips, bring back to the boil and simmer until the chips have almost broken up (it's the fissures that form as the potato breaks up that trap the fat, creating a crunchy crust). It is important to make sure the simmer is gentle so the potatoes don't start to fall apart before they have cooked through.
Using a slotted spoon, carefully lift the potatoes out of the water and place on a cake rack. Leave to cool, then put in the fridge until cold.
Pour enough oil to cover the chips into a deep-fat fryer and heat to 130°C. Plunge in the chips and allow them to cook until they take on a dry appearance and are slightly coloured.
Remove the chips and drain off the excess fat. Place them on a cake rack and allow to cool, then return to the fridge until cold.
Reheat the oil to 190°C. Plunge in the chips and cook until golden brown.
Drain the chips, season well with a mixture of table and sea salt, then pile next to the fish.
To serve
For that total chip shop experience, decant some pickling juice from a jar of pickled onions (or white-wine vinegar) into an atomiser and squirt it on the fish and chips.
