Tony Fleming is one of Britain's leading fish and seafood chefs, so this beer-battered fish and chips recipe is well worth a go. The dish is served with homemade marrowfat mushy peas for an extra touch of seaside nostalgia.
For the mushy peas, soak the peas in a generous amount of cold water overnight. Strain off the water and place the peas in a large saucepan. Cover with water, bring to the boil, then strain and cover with fresh water again
Add the peeled carrot, onion, garlic, bay and a pinch of the bicarbonate soda. Bring to the boil for a second time and then turn down the heat and simmer until there is no bite left in the peas, approximately 1 1/2-2 hours
Meanwhile, make the batter. Add the flour, yeast, beer, sugar and salt to a bowl and whisk together until smooth. Allow the mixture to stand for 1-2 hours in a warm environment - so that the yeast ferments
For the chips, wash and peel the potatoes, then cut into chip-sized lengths (preferably 7mm wide). Wash again under cold water, as this will remove any excess starch
Add all the potatoes to a pot with cold salted water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 2 minutes until the chips are slightly tender but still very firm. Drain the chips and steam dry until cool
Blanch the cooled chips in hot rapeseed oil or a deep-fat fryer set to 150˚C for 6-7 minutes. Drain and cool on absorbent kitchen towel. The chips can be set aside at this point to finish later
rapeseed oil
7
Remove the carrot, onion, bay and garlic from the cooked peas. Whisk the peas so they start to break down to the right consistency. If the mixture appears to be too wet, continue to cook to thicken, or add a dash more water if too dry
8
Once the consistency looks like mushy peas, season with salt, pepper and malt vinegar taste. Finish with a knob of butter and set aside until required
Blanch the chips in a pan or deep-fat fryer of hot rapeseed oil at 180˚C until crispy and golden on the outside and tender in the middle. Remove the golden chips from the oil and season with salt immediately
11
Take the cleaned, boneless fish fillets and pat-dry. Dust the fillets in seasoned flour and shake lightly to remove any excess. Dredge in the beer batter and hold upright for a few seconds to allow any excess batter to drip off
12
Using the same frying oil, very carefully place one end of the fish in the hot oil before laying the entire fillet in the pan (this will prevent the fish from sticking to the bottom). Submerge the entire fillet in the oil and cook until golden brown, approximately 4-6 minutes. Remove and place on a piece of kitchen roll to absorb any excess oil
Tony Fleming built a reputation off sophisticated fish and seafood dishes at Angler, but now he's showing the full extent of his armoury at The Baptist Grill, where he cooks clever, comforting food – classically underpinned but with worldly influences.
