Sea bass in a coriander and chilli batter with chips
Traditional fish and chips done the gourmet way. Served with samphire and gribiche - a delicious alternative to tartar sauce.
Ingredients
For the sea bass
- sunflower oil or beef dripping, for deep-fat frying (approximately 1.2 litres/2 pints)
- 1 sea bass (minimum 900g/2lbs), filleted, skin and pinbones removed, cut into four portions
- 50²µ/1¾´Ç³ú rice flour
For the batter
- 200g/7oz self-raising flour
- 50²µ/1¾´Ç³ú cornflour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 300ml/10fl oz cold sparkling water
- 1 large red chilli, finely chopped
- 50²µ/1¾´Ç³ú fresh coriander, chopped
- pinch sea salt flakes
For the samphire
- 200g/7oz samphire, washed
- 50²µ/1¾´Ç³ú unsalted butter
- 4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- salt and black pepper
- pinch sugar
For the chips
- 1kg/2lb 4oz large Maris Piper or King Edward potatoes, peeled
For the sauce gribiche
- 1 free-range egg
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- pinch salt
- pinch pepper
- 300ml/½ pint rapeseed oil
- ½ lemon, juice only
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 2 free-range eggs, hard-boiled and finely chopped
- 3 tbsp finely chopped cornichons
- 1 tbsp finely chopped baby capers
- 1 tbsp chopped tarragon
- 1 tbsp chopped chives
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley
- pinch sugar
Method
Preheat a deep-fat fryer to 160C/325F (CAUTION: Hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.) Dust the sea bass portions with rice flour and set aside.
For the batter, mix together the flours and baking powder in a large bowl. Whisk in the sparkling water to make a smooth batter. Then stir through the chilli, coriander and sea salt. Set aside until ready to cook the fish.
For the chips, cut the potatoes into fairly thin chips. In a large pan of boiling water, cook the chips until just soft, but not breaking up (approximately two minutes). Remove from the pan and drain thoroughly.
Add the chips to the deep-fat fryer and cook until they are light golden-brown (approximately two minutes). Drain on kitchen paper and set aside (ready for a second frying just before serving).
For the samphire, bring a pan of salted water to the boil. Add the samphire and cook for a few minutes. Immediately drain and coat with butter and balsamic vinegar. Season with salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar.
For the sauce gribiche, first make a mayonnaise by placing the whole egg into a food processor along with the Dijon mustard, salt and pepper. Blend until smooth and, with the motor running, add the rapeseed oil in a thin stream until the mixture starts to thicken. Then add the lemon juice and white wine vinegar. Keep adding the oil until you have a smooth emulsion with a mayonnaise consistency.
Spoon the mayonnaise into a bowl and add the chopped hard-boiled eggs, cornichons, capers, herbs and sugar. Mix well and set aside.
To cook the bass, dredge the fillets in the batter and place them into the deep-fat fryer. Cook for 5-10 minutes, or until the batter is crisp and golden-brown.
Just before serving, fry the chips for a final time until crisp and a deep golden-brown.
To serve, place the fried bass and chips on plates with the samphire and gribiche.