FISH AND CHIPS WITH TARTARE SAUCE

Thursday November 13,2008

Why buy greasy fish and chips when you can make it fresh at home? Mitch and Matt’s version comes with a serving of zingy tartare sauce. Serves 4.

INGREDIENTS
For the tartare sauce:
2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
200ml vegetable oil
Squeeze lemon juice
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 tablespoon gherkins, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon capers, roughly chopped
4-5 green olives, chopped
Small handful parsley, finely chopped
For the fish and chips:
6 tablespoons plain flour
6 tablespoons cornflour
400-500ml ale
Vegetable oil, for deep frying
8 large Maris Piper potatoes peeled and cut into chunky chips
4 x 150g cod fillets

METHOD

1) For the tartare sauce: whisk together the egg yolks, mustard and vinegar. Start to add the oil, a few drops at a time, whisking constantly. As the mixture begins to emulsify start adding the oil in a thin and steady stream until you have a thick and creamy mayonnaise.

2) Taste, season with salt and pepper and sharpen with a squeeze of lemon juice. Stir in the onion, gherkins, capers, olives and parsley. The sauce should be quite piquant, chunky and have the consistency of very thick double cream.

3) For the fish and chips: mix the flour together with a pinch of salt, then whisk in enough ale to make a
batter with the consistency of double cream.

4) Heat the vegetable oil in a large pan or deep-fat fryer to 140C. Cook the chips for 8-9 minutes, or until just tender. Set aside while you fry the fish.

5) Turn up the heat of the oil to 190C. Working in batches, dip the cod fillets into the batter and drop carefully into the hot oil which should immediatley sizzle. Shake the frying basket gently so the don't stick, and fry for 3-5 minutes. Drain on kitchen paper.

6) Return the chips to the oil for a further 2-3 minutes to crisp. Serve at once with cod and tartare sauce.

For more delicious recipes go to www.uktv.co.uk/food