A wee bit of Scotland cooking away in Catalunya! Dish 1: Fish supper (fish n chips)

Easy at home Fish Supper  

Nothing smells better than warm newspaper! 

When you ask someone to describe British cuisine, Fish n Chips is always mentioned. If you ask about Scottish food the famous “deep fries Mars bar” always raises a few questions.

Today I am going to share with you the secret to a wee taste of Scotland where ever you are.

For each person you will need: 

2 fresh fillets of Fish. I use “Merluza”, Hake, here in Barcelona, but you can use what white fish you like, Haddack for example.

1/2 a cup of flour seasoned with a pinch of salt and pepper. 
2 eggs, beaten. 
1/2 cup of breadcrumbs. I use the ready preppared fine breadcrumbs
Oil for shallow frying. 

For the Chips. 

4-5 floury potatoes. I find the muddier the potato the better the chip. 
Sunflower oil for deep frying.  

Method:

First, get yourself all prepped. The utensils you will need are: 

A knife or peeler for the potatoes.
A large bowl. 
3 plates or wide flat bowls for your flour, eggs and breadcrumbs.
A frying pan that will take your fish, if not just cut fish into the size you need. 
A deep pan that can be used for deep frying or a deep fat frier with drainer.
A spatula or two for flipping your fish. 
Some grease proof paper.
A few sheets from a newspaper. 

First peel your potatoes and cut into thick wedges shaped chips. Rinse with water and place in your large bowl and leave to one side. 
Place your oil in the fryer and put on the heat. Do not over fill your frier. 
Whilst your oil is getting ready to receive your chips, you can now prepare your fish. 
Wash your fish in cold water before you start. 
 Now you will never be able to get that fried in litres of lard flavour at home, so best not to try. This breaded method taste great and works really well with the chips.
Your deep fat frier should be up to heat, check by dropping a chip in, if it floats and sizzles you are ready to rock! 
Do not over fill your frier with your raw chips. To many chips and the oil will cool and they will end up soggy.  They might take up to 15 mins to fry so keep an eye whilst you do your fish. 
In one of your bowls place your flour, in the second bowl your beaten eggs and in the final bowl the breadcrumbs. 
Before you bread your fish put a little oil, enough to cover the bottom of your pan generously, onto a medium heat. Not to high a heat as can burn the breadcrumbs but under cook the fish, not to low as you will have soggy batter.  
Flour your fish by pitting each side of the fillet into the flour a few times, move to the egg, egging both sides then move to the breadcrumbs. Put each side into the breadcrumbs, pressing them firmly into the crumbs. I repeat the process again to allow for an extra crispy layer. 
Your frying pan should be hot enough by now. To test dip the end of one of the fillets into the oil. If it sizzles away you are ready. 
Cook one side until you see it is crispy and brown, flip over and cook the other side. 
Lay out a few sheets of newspaper and top them with a sheet of grease proof. 
Your chips will be almost ready now, take one out to test. They should be golden on the outside but soft in the middle. The best test is the taste test!
Drain the chips and fish from their pans. I pat them with a wee bit of kitchen roll. 
Place your fish n chips in their paper, salt n vinegar to taste, wrap them up and serve.    

 

Perfect with a dash of salt and a good splash of vinegar.