Fish and chips

Making the mushy peas  – 3 hours + 10 minutes

If you want to serve mushy peas with your fish and chips, it is best to start making these first. Mushy peas take some time but they are a key accompaniment to authentic fish and chips.

Place 250 grams of dried peas in a large pan, preferably with a thick base. Cover with cold water to 8 cm above the peas. Add 1 tablespoon of bicarbonate of soda and stir briefly.

Place the peas over a high heat and bring to the boil. Once the water boils, cook the peas on high heat for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, place a lid on the pan and leave to stand for an hour.

After an hour, strain the peas and rinse very well with cold water. Place the peas back in the pan and add 700 ml of water. Add a teaspoon and a half of sugar and place over a medium-high heat.

Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and place a lid on the pan. Let the peas cook gently for around 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Remove the peas from the heat and stir in 1 teaspoon of salt, 25 grams of butter and the juice of half a lemon.

Preparing the fish and chips - 15 minutes

Make the tartar sauce. This is optional but really adds to an authentic fish and chips.

You can cut the chips yourself, pre-fry them and later re-fry them until perfectly golden brown. Alternatively, you can use steakhouse chips, which are often used at fish and chip shops in the UK.

Making fish and chips – 30 minutes

Heat sunflower oil or other neutral oil in a thick-based saucepan and heat to about 180 - 185 degrees Celsius. Pat the pieces of fish dry with kitchen paper.

Place 400 grams of flour in the freezer for around 15 minutes, as it is important that the batter is as cold as possible.

Mix the cold flour with 3 teaspoons of baking powder, a pinch of turmeric, and half a teaspoon of salt in a large bowl. Add the ice-cold beer and stir with a whisk to make a smooth batter.

Put a layer of flour on a plate and dredge the fish pieces through the flour, making sure they are completely covered. Shake the fish to remove any excess flour then dredge it through the ice-cold batter. Again, make sure the fish is completely covered with the batter.

Place the fish directly into the hot oil and immediately turn it a few times. This helps to give the batter texture. Fry the fish in the hot oil for about 4 to 5 minutes until it is nicely golden brown.

Transfer the fish to an oven rack with kitchen paper underneath, this will help keep the underside crispy while you deep-fry the remaining fish. If you place the fish directly on kitchen paper, the underside will become soft.

Repeat for the remaining pieces of fish, preferably deep-frying them separately otherwise the oil will cool too quickly due to the temperature of the batter. You will get the best results if the oil is hot and the fish/batter are as cold as possible.

Serving the fish and chips

Serve the fish and chips with salt and a few dashes of malt vinegar. Traditionally, fish and chips were served on a sheet of newspaper in the UK. Enjoy your meal!