Ingredients:
- 4x175g/6oz thick cod or haddock fillets
- 225g/8oz self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 300ml/10fl oz fridge-cold lager
- 1 cup of peas
- 6 large potatoes chipped
- 2 litres corn oil
Method:
Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas 2 and preheat the dripping or oil to 120C/250F.
For the chips, peel the potatoes and cut into whatever size you prefer. Wash well in cold water, drain and pat dry with a clean tea towel. Put the potatoes into the fryer and allow them to fry gently for about 8-10 minutes, until they are soft but still pale. Check they’re cooked by piercing with a small, sharp knife. Lift out of the pan and leave to cool slightly on greaseproof paper.
Increase the heat of the fryer to 180C/350F.
Season the fish and dust lightly with flour; this enables the batter to stick to the fish.
To make the batter, sift the flour and a pinch of salt into a large bowl and whisk in the lager to give a thick batter, adding a little extra beer if it seems over-thick. It should be the consistency of very thick double cream and should coat the back of a wooden spoon.
Season with salt and thickly coat 2 of the fillets with the batter. Carefully place in the hot fat and cook for 8-10 minutes until golden and crispy. Remove from the pan, drain and sit on a baking sheet lined with greaseproof paper, then keep warm in the oven while you cook the remaining 2 fillets in the same way.
Once the fish is cooked, return the chips to the fryer and cook for 2-3 minutes or until golden and crispy. Shake off any excess fat and season with salt before serving with the crispy fish. Serve with peas and tartare sauce.