This traditional British combination of battered fish and thick-cut chips is usually served with lemon wedges
Ingredients
115 g self-raising flour
150 ml water
675 g potatoes
675 g piece skinned cod OR hake fillet, cut into four
oil, for deep-frying
salt to taste
lemon wedges, to serve
Method
Stir flour and salt together in a bowl, then form a well in the centre. Gradually pour in the water, whisking in the flour to make a smooth batter. Leave for 30 minutes.
Cut the potatoes into strips about 1 cm wide and 5 cm long. Place the potatoes in a colander, rinse in cold water, then drain and dry them well.
Heat the oil in a deep-fat fryer or large heavy-based saucepan to 150°C. Using the wire basket, lower the potatoes in batches into the oil and cook for 5-6 minutes, shaking the basket occasionally until the potatoes are soft but not browned. Remove the chips from the oil and drain them thoroughly on kitchen paper.
Heat the oil in the fryer to 190°C. Season the fish. Stir the batter, then dip the pieces of fish into it, allowing the excess to drain off.
Working in two batches if necessary, lower the fish into oil and fry for 6-8 minutes, until crisp and brown. Drain the fish on kitchen paper and keep warm.
Add the chips in batches to the oil and cook them for about 2-3 minutes, until brown and crisp. Keep hot until ready to serve, then sprinkle with salt and serve with the fish, accompanied by lemon wedges.
Although geelbek (Cape salmon) is similar to a European salmon in shape, the flesh is white and has a more delicate flavour. This recipe for whole baked geelbek is delicious and enough for a dinner party of eight
The secret of this excellent method of cooking fish is to use a heavy-bottomed, fluted cast iron pan with a metal handle, which may be placed in the oven. A flat cast-iron saucepan is also suitable. Pan-fry the fish until brown on one side, turn it and then bake it quickly in a hot oven for about ten minutes
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