AT HOME... RECIPE

John's Presentation Tip: Your presentation side will be the side of the fish cooked first. I prefer to cook the meat side of the fish first as this looks much better on the plate.

John's Spicy Fish & Chips
From John Ferrington of Brunswick

Ingredients:

• Fish:
• Meduim sized fresh fillets of fish
• 1/2 cup of plain flour
• Teaspoon of Garam Masala
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground Paprika
• Fresh ground pepper
• Sea salt
• Olive oil
  
  
• Chips:
• Potatoes
• Olive oil
  
  
• Sauce: (optional)
• 1 medium onion
• 2 small red chillis
• 1 clove of garlic
• 25 grams unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons Olive oil
• Splash of white wine
• Lemon juice

Note: If you going to cook the sauce, go to the sauce recipe FIRST.

Method:

• Fish:
  Mix flour, garram masala and paprika in a clean freezer bag. Once mixed, place each fillet, one at a time, in the bag and shake gently. Remove and place on a plate.
        Place enough oil to just cover the base of a large frying pan, and heat over a medium flame. Cook one or two fillets at a time, turning only once.
        When golden brown, turn over. Don't over cook the fish. Depending on the thickness of the fillet, I have found that 5 or so minutes each side will be enough.
        When both sides are cooked, remove from the pan and place on warmed plate.
  
  
• Sauce:
  In a blender, place the onion, garlic, chilli, lemon juice and the white wine. Blend until mixture is nearly pulped.
        In the fry pan you will cook the fish, warm about 2 tablepoons of olive oil over a meduim to high heat. Empty the contents of the blender and cook for about about 5 minutes, constantly stirring.
        When light brown, remove from the pan and set aside. Add some more oil and cook fish as per above. Don't clean the pan out as the small amount of left overs will provide extra flavour to the fish.
        While the fish is cooking, place the onion mixture into a small saucepan along with the butter. Mix well before putting on the heat. When the butter has nearly melted, cook slowly over low heat, stirring when necessary.
        When fish is cooked, spoon sauce over the fillets.
  
  
• Chips:
  You could have the above recipe with fresh steamed vegies or a garden salad, but what would fish be without chips? And crispy chips at that!
        Peel and cut the potatoes as per normal, then dry with paper towel.
        Heat oil in pan, I use a meduim sized saucepan for my chips. When oil is hot, gently place in the cut and dried chips. Don't overload the pan. If you want crispy chips, it is essential that the pan is NOT over loaded. Stir when necessary.
        The chips take about 15 minutes to cook, so put them on well before the fish.
        When they are golden brown, remove from oil and let drain.
  

Serving:

Place the fish onto the serving plate, cover with the sauce, if you made it, then place the chips next to the fish.
      Pepper the fish and lightly salt the chips with sea salt. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the fish.
      I have just finished eating this, and it didn't take me long to prepare, cook and eat! I enjoyed it with a bottle of Ingolby Chardonnay... what a great way to finish a great weekend!

John.