Nothin’ fishy about it

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We take a look at the traditional fish n’ chips recipe from Britian and a virtually unknown one from Louisiana.

Fish and Chips
Purists will say that you cannot have an authentic British-style fish and chips without some dark beer in the batter. So it’s best to add a few glugs of beer in the batter, but don’t forget to reduce the water.

Ingredients
115 gm flour
1 tsp baking powder
150 ml cup water
675 gm potatoes
675 gm white fish fillets, like Bekti, cut into four pieces
Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
Salt and black pepper
Lemon wedges, to serve

Method
To make the batter, stir the flour and a pinch of salt together in a bowl. Gradually pour in the water (or beer), whisking the flour to make a smooth batter. Leave to stand for 30 minutes.
Cut the potatoes into strips about 1 cm wide and 5cm long. Wash well in cold water, then drain and dry.
Heat the oil for deep-frying and fry the potatoes for 5-6 minutes, until they are soft but not browned. Remove and drain on kitchen paper.
Re-heat the oil, season the fish fillets with salt and pepper. Dip each piece of fish into the batter. Drain the excess.
Fry the fish in the oil for 6-8 minutes, until crisp and brown.
Once the fish fillets are cooked, return the chips to the oil and cook them for 1-2, until golden and crisp. Remove and sprinkle with salt.
Serve the fish with the chips and lemon wedges.
Note: If you want to be really authentic, splash a good tablespoon of vinegar of the chips.

Cajun Spiced Fish
Contrary to popular belief, Cajun cooking does not have its origins in the West Indies. Its origins can be traced back to over two centuries ago, in Louisiana. The following is a simple example of Cajun cooking. The fillets are coated with an aromatic blend of herbs and spices and pan-fried in butter.

Ingredients
4 pieces of white fish fillet, about 175 gm each
1 tsp each of dried thyme and oregano
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp chilli powder
Salt to taste
½ tsp garlic paste
6 tbsp butter
½ green and ½ red capsicum, sliced thinly
Fresh thyme sprigs to garnish

Method
Place the dried herbs, black pepper, chilli powder, salt and garlic in a bowl and mix well. Dip the fish fillets in the spice mixture until lightly coated.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large frying pan over medium to low heat. Add the red and green capsicums and cook until softened. Remove them and keep warm.
Add the remaining butter. Fry the fillets over medium heat for 3-4 minutes on each side, until browned and cooked.
Transfer to a serving dish, add the capsicum around the fish and garnish with thyme sprigs. Serve immediately.
Note: You can try this with prawns too.