Easy fried-day fish
I love fish and chips from the takeaway but it’s so expensive. So I tried making my own batter a few times and it’s just never as crispy as fish and chip shop battered fish. Finally I tried buying tempura batter mix and oh my what crispy battered fish it makes! It only takes minutes to cook and prepping is super easy and quick. I use cod/haddock loin that is skinless and boneless - loin is a more expensive cut of fish than fillet but it’s so more juicy and better at cutting into finger shaped pieces to batter and fry. Cod loin is around £20 per kilo, but for two grown-ups and a little one you only need around 350g, so that’s around £7, the tempura batter is relatively cheap and the vegetable oil to fry can be used next time – just wait till it cools, pour it back into the empty bottle, leaving behind any sediments, label with the date and use within 3 months (but only for a maximum of 3-4 times). All in all it is an expensive dinner but cheaper than the fish and chip shop – plus it’s a better cut of fish than the fish and chip shop would give you! The first fish and chip shop was opened in London by Joseph Malin in 1860 who sold "fish fried in the Jewish fashion" – fried fish came to England by Western Sephardic Jews. This is suitable for young babies but I would probably peel off some of the batter so they can get to the nutritious fish more easily to suck/gum etc.
Makes enough for 2 grown-ups and a little one
Ingredients
350g cod/haddock skinless and boneless loin
Approx 120g bag if tempura batter mix – note: check the salt content as some brands are quite high in salt, ideally it should be less than around 1g of salt for the whole bag
Approx 1 litre of vegetable oil
Method
1. Cut the loin into finger shapes around 2cm wide and 8 cm long.
2. Make-up batter following instructions on the packet.
3. Heat oil at around 10cm depth in a deep heavy based pan to a medium-high heat. The oil is ready when you drop a small piece of bread and it floats to the top with small bubbles around it.
4. Carefully coat a finger of fish in the batter and place it into the oil – I use my hands to do this making sure my hands don’t go in the oil! If you’re a bit scared you can use two forks to hold the fish and lower it in. Depending on the size of your pan you can probably pop a few in at the same time, one by one.
5. Once in the oil the fish can fry for around 3-4 minutes, by which time the fish should be cooked, using two forks, or a slated scoop, or tongs, carefully remove and place on a wire rack above some paper towel (to create excess oil drop off). Putting them on a wire rack to cool slightly before serving keeps them crispy! Check the fish is cooked through by cutting open one of the larger pieces – it should be white and flakey and hot steam should come out.
Tips
The vegetable oil to fry can be used next time – just wait till it cools, pour it back into the empty bottle, leaving behind any sediments, label with the date and use within 3 months (but only for a maximum of 3-4 times). This is suitable for young babies but I would probably peel off some of the batter so they can get to the nutritious fish more easily to suck/gum etc.
Facts
The first fish and chip shop was opened in London by Joseph Malin in 1860 who sold "fish fried in the Jewish fashion" – fried fish came to England by Western Sephardic Jews.
Makes enough for 2 grown-ups and a little one
Ingredients
350g cod/haddock skinless and boneless loin
Approx 120g bag if tempura batter mix – note: check the salt content as some brands are quite high in salt, ideally it should be less than around 1g of salt for the whole bag
Approx 1 litre of vegetable oil
Method
1. Cut the loin into finger shapes around 2cm wide and 8 cm long.
2. Make-up batter following instructions on the packet.
3. Heat oil at around 10cm depth in a deep heavy based pan to a medium-high heat. The oil is ready when you drop a small piece of bread and it floats to the top with small bubbles around it.
4. Carefully coat a finger of fish in the batter and place it into the oil – I use my hands to do this making sure my hands don’t go in the oil! If you’re a bit scared you can use two forks to hold the fish and lower it in. Depending on the size of your pan you can probably pop a few in at the same time, one by one.
5. Once in the oil the fish can fry for around 3-4 minutes, by which time the fish should be cooked, using two forks, or a slated scoop, or tongs, carefully remove and place on a wire rack above some paper towel (to create excess oil drop off). Putting them on a wire rack to cool slightly before serving keeps them crispy! Check the fish is cooked through by cutting open one of the larger pieces – it should be white and flakey and hot steam should come out.
Tips
The vegetable oil to fry can be used next time – just wait till it cools, pour it back into the empty bottle, leaving behind any sediments, label with the date and use within 3 months (but only for a maximum of 3-4 times). This is suitable for young babies but I would probably peel off some of the batter so they can get to the nutritious fish more easily to suck/gum etc.
Facts
The first fish and chip shop was opened in London by Joseph Malin in 1860 who sold "fish fried in the Jewish fashion" – fried fish came to England by Western Sephardic Jews.