Background
Something that I'm sure most of us gluten free folk would like to occasionally indulge in is a proper fish n' chips, with light, crispy and bubbly batter. After using various types of flour in this batter, I've settled on a tempura-esque mixture of rice and corn flour to give both crispiness whilst keeping it light. If you don't want to use beer then substitute this for the same amount of sparkling/soda water. Serve this with some mushy minted peas, thick cut chips, gherkins and tartare sauce for a proper chippie dinner. I like to accompany mine with some homemade truffled garlic aioli - positively un-chippie like but still, a pretty tasty accompaniment to anything deep-fried. Recipe to follow.
Ingredients
For the batter
- 100ml gluten free beer - I used Daura Damm beer which is available in Waitrose, Asda or Sainsburys
- 100g rice flour
- 40g corn flour
- 3 eggs - yolks and whites separated
- Rock Salt
- Pepper
- 8 medium cod loins or other sustainably sourced firm-fleshed, white fish such as haddock, pollock or hake
- Vegetable or rapeseed oil for deep-frying
Instructions
1. (05 min)
- Separate the eggs, putting the yolks in a large bowl and the whites in a smaller bowl. Whisk the whites until they form soft peaks. Combine the yolks, rice flour, corn flour, beer and salt and whisk well until fully combined.
2. (02 min)
- Now fold the whites into the yolk mixture. You should by now have a batter with the consistency of yoghurt.
3. (05 min)
- Pour the oil into a large saucepan to the depth of about 1cm. Cut the fish into pieces that will fit your saucepan and set to one side. Heat the pan on a medium-high heat until the oil reaches a temperature of between 170C and 180C (if you don't have a thermometer, drop a little of the batter in – it should sizzle gently).
4. (40 min)
- Dip each piece of fish in the batter mix until both sides are coated, then very carefully lower them into the hot fat with tongs or a slotted spoon. Fry each piece for 3–5 minutes until the batter becomes a dark-golden colour and the fish is cooked through. Repeat with the other pieces.
5. (02 min)
- Drain on some kitchen paper to absorb excess oil then serve immediately whilst still crisp.
