If you’re not scared of deep frying, this recipe produces the crunchiest and most delicious fish. Serve with a roasted garlic dip for an extra fancy twist on a pub classic.

If you are a lover of the pub classics (think gammon and chips, steak and ale pie…) you will love my twist on the absolute classic English dish: fish and chips. Weirdly, I’ve never enjoying English fish and chips. I’ve always found it a bit soggy (sorry!). Having said that, I love fried fish and this is why I wanted to create my own take on the classic.

These goujons are a playful twist on beer-battered fish. I made mine with cod, but you could just as easily use any white fish of your choice. These goujons are simple to make: you simply slice your fish into little finger shape, dredge them in flour, dunk them in a VERY simple batter and deep fry them till they are golden and crispy.

Are you scared of deep frying? It’s not as hard as it looks! Yes, it’s not the healthiest option, but it’s the only way you are going to get the crispiest batter on the planet. If you really, really don’t want to deep fry, you could coat your fish in breadcrumbs and bake it in the oven. But, for a proper treat, deep frying is the way to go.

Easy roast garlic mayo

I know that the traditional dip for fish and chips is tartare sauce, but have you ever tried to make it yourself? There are quite a lot of ingredients that I would otherwise never use (such as capers), so I couldn’t be bothered to make it. If you want tartare sauce, go and get it from a jar!

Instead, I choose to make a easy roast garlic mayonaise, combining the softest garlic you’ve ever seen with mayo, a hint of mustard and some herbs. It’s so, so easy and pairs perfectly with the crispy cod. I always try and make my recipes completely adaptable so that you can make something that you truly love. For example, if you love a bit of heat, add a little siracha to your mayo!

Easy weeknight recipe

Although you have to deep fry, this recipe is really simple and fast. You can easily make it during the week. We served ours with veg and sweet potato fries, but it would go just as well with chips or salad. If you are planning a meal with friends, this would make a really, really impressive starter.

Let me know if you like this recipe and please show me any photos if you make it! I hope you enjoy!

Beer-battered cod recipe

Servings: 2

Preperation time:

Cooking time:

Ingredients

• 2 cod fillets, cut into strips (think fish fingers)
• 200g self raising flour (plus extra for dredging)
• 1 can of beer or lager
• 1 tsp paprika
• Salt and pepper
• A lot of oil for deep frying
• 1 whole bulb of garlic, top cut off
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tsp of oil
• 4-5 tbsp mayo
• Lemon juice (to taste)
• 1/2 tsp English mustard
• Optional: to make the mayo lighter, use greek yoghurt or use a mix of both.

1. Begin by cooking the garlic. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees (c). Cut the top of the head of the garlic bulb off and place in a small roasting dish. Season well and cover with a glug of oil. If you have the time to really slow cook the garlic, cover in foil. If not, place straight in the oven and cook for around 30 minutes, until the garlic is soft and sweet.
2. While the oil is cooking, prepare your batter. Pour the flour into a bowl and gradually add the beer. You want to have quite a thick batter, so don’t pour it all in at once. Add until you have a thick batter. You can drink the rest of the beer! Season the batter with salt, pepper and paprika (or any other herbs and spices you love!)
3. When the garlic is lovely and soft, place on a chopping board and leave to cool till you can handle it without buring yourself. Squeeze the garlic to let all of the soft cloves come out. With the back of a knife, squash and chop the soft garlic clothes till they turn into a paste (if you are finding it hard to squish the garlic, it means that it is undercook).
4. Place the garlic paste in a bowl and add the mayo, 1/2 tsp mustard and as much lemon juice as you like. Season with a little salt and pepper and any other herbs you like/have. For example, fresh parsley or dill would go great with this dish.
5. Once your mayo is made, add vegetable oil in a pan until there is enough so that the fish can fry in there without touching the bottom. I choose to use as small a pan as possible as it means I have to use less oil, but it does mean that you have to cook a few pieces at a time. Heat the oil on the hottest temperature.
6. While the oil is heating, cut your fish into strips that look a bit like fish fingers. Next, season them well with a little lemon juice, paprika and salt (plus anything else you like). Cover them in a little flour (this is called dredging) until the fish feels covered and dry all over. Next, dunk all the pieces in the beer batter and coat well. The mix should stick easily to the fish. If it looks too thin, add a little more flour and mix.
7. To check if the oil is hot enough, drop a little batter in the oil. If it immediately starts to bubble and fry, the oil is ready. Drop the fish in one at a time, trying hard not to crowd the pan, and let the fish cook until it is turning crispy and golden.
8. When cooked, use a slotted spoon to remove the fish from the pan and leave on a chopping board. Repeat this process until all of your pieces of fish are golden and crispy.
9. If you notice that the fish you cooked is going a little soft while you cook the other pieces, refresh them when you have cooked all the fish by placing them back in the hot oil for a couple of seconds.
10. Serve the crispy fish fast with the mayo and enjoy!

Tips: the beer you choose will affect the taste of the batter, so make sure that you choose one you like!

Love fish? Why not try my sea bass recipe with pea pureé? Or if you want a vegan alternative, check out my beer battered cauliflower recipe!