Make your own fish and chips with this recipe by Richard Ord Junior, whose family own the iconic Colman’s restaurant in South Shields.
Ingredients
240g plain flour
3 1/2 tsp baking powder
270ml ice-cold water
900g fluffy potatoes
Sunflower oil for deep frying
4, 175g thick cod fillets
Salt and pepper to season
For the tartare sauce
200ml mayonnaise
3 tbsp capers, drained and finely chopped
3 tbsp gherkins, drained and chopped
1 small shallot, finely chopped
Squeeze of lemon juice
3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1tbsp mustard
3 tbsp chives
Salt and pepper to season
Method
Tartare sauce – Mix all of the ingredients together either in a small bowl or blender.
To make the batter for the fish – Mix the flour, 1tsp of salt and the baking powder with the water. Set aside, keep cold and use within 20 minutes of making.
Next, pre-heat the oven to 150ºc/gas 2. Line a baking tray with plenty of kitchen paper and set aside.
Peel the potatoes and cut them lengthways into chips approx 1cm thick. Pour some sunflower oil into a large deep pan until it is about a third full and heat it to 130ºc.
Drop half the chips into a frying basket and cook them for about 5 minutes, until tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, but not coloured. Lift them out and drain off the excess oil. Repeat with the rest of the chips and set aside.
To fry the fish, heat the oil to 170ºc. Season the cod fillets with salt and pepper and then dip into the batter. Fry 2 pieces at a time, for 7–8 minutes, or until crisp and golden brown. Lift out and drain on the paper-lined tray. Keep hot in the oven while you cook the other 2 pieces.
Raise the temperature of the oil to 190ºc and cook the chips in small batches for about 2 minutes, until they are crisp and golden. Lift them out of the pan and give them a shake to remove the excess oil, then drain on kitchen paper and keep them hot while you cook the rest. Sprinkle with salt and serve them with the deep-fried cod and tartare sauce.
