Beer Battered Fish and Chips

Ingredients

  • 4 large (about 200g each) unpeeled desiree potatoes, cut into wedges
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 225g (1 1/2 cups) self-raising flour?1 egg, lightly whisked
  • 375ml (1 1/2 cups) chilled light beer
  • Salt & freshly ground black pepper
  • Vegetable oil, to deep-fry
  • 8 (about 120g each) white fish fillets (such as flathead or whiting)
  • Sea salt flakes, to serve
  • Lemon wedges, to serve

Tartare sauce

  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons mustard powder
  • 250ml (1 cup) light olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons drained capers, finely chopped
  • 8 baby gherkins (cornichons), finely chopped
  • 2 green shallots, ends trimmed, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh continental parsley
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
  • Salt & freshly ground black pepper

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper. Place potato on tray. Drizzle with olive oil. Cook in oven, turning occasionally, for 40 minutes or until golden brown.
  2. Meanwhile, place flour in a bowl. Add the egg and stir to combine. Gradually whisk in the beer until batter is smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to rest.
  3. To make the tartare sauce, place the egg yolk, lemon juice and mustard powder in the bowl of a food processor and process until mixture thickens. With the motor running, add the oil in a thin steady stream until mixture is creamy. Transfer to a bowl. Add capers, gherkin, shallot, parsley, dill and chives and stir to combine.Season with salt and pepper.
  4. Add enough vegetable oil to a large saucepan to reach a depth of 8cm. Heat to 190°C over high heat (when oil is ready a cube of bread will turn golden brown in 10 seconds).
  5. Dip 2 pieces of fish, 1 at a time, into batter to coat. Drain off excess. Deep-fry for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown and cooked.
  6. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel. Repeat, in 3 more batches, with remaining fish and batter, reheating oil between batches.