Fish and chips with mushy peas [1]

For the fish

720g haddock fillet – skinned and boned (4 pieces)

600g allumettes (chipped potatoes)

30g flour – seasoned with salt and pepper

2 lemons – cut in half width ways

Maldon sea salt – to taste

For the beer batter

170ml beer – preferably old speckled hen

125g flour

10ml sunflower oil

8g baking powder

Table salt to taste

Freshly ground white pepper to taste

For the tartare sauce

400g mayonnaise

50g capers – finely chopped

50g gherkins – finely chopped

50g shallots – finely chopped

4g flat leaf parsley – finely chopped

5ml fresh lemon juice

Freshly ground salt and pepper to taste

For the mushy peas

375g frozen peas

18g white onions – finely chopped

12g mint – finely chopped

2g garlic cloves – finely chopped

50ml vegetable stock (use a vegetable boullion cube and boiling water for this)

Freshly ground salt and pepper to taste

Servings

4

Person

1

For the beer batter, prepare six hours in advance mix all the ingredients together, blend with a hand blender and pass through a sieve. Refrigerate until cooking.
2

For the tartare sauce, rinse the capers and gherkins in cold water, finely chop the capers, gherkins and shallots individually, mix with the mayonnaise, season with freshly ground salt and pepper and the lemon juice. Add the chopped parsley just before serving to retain its colour.
3

For the mushy peas, cook the peas in a pan of boiling salted water, and once they are cooked (taste one, the pea will be soft but still green), remove from the water and allow to cool. Heat the butter in a pan and cook the onions and garlic slowly without colouring. Add the vegetable stock, blend half the peas with half the stock to a smooth paste, then blend the remaining peas to a coarse paste, mix together and adjust the consistency with some of the remaining vegetable stock. Add the chopped mint and season with freshly ground salt and pepper to taste.
4

To serve, dip the haddock in the seasoned flour and then in the batter, then deep fry in a deep fat fryer (as you are using hot oil you must pay close attention to what you are doing) until cooked and golden brown, drain on absorbent paper, serve with the chips, tartare sauce and the mushy peas.

Cooks Note

Serves 4

Recipe by Rivington Grill