Fish & Chips
Ingredients
- vegetable oil, for deep-frying
- 15g/½oz fresh yeast
- pinch sugar
- 300ml/10fl oz beer
- 1 tsp cider vinegar
- 200g/7oz plain flour
- pinch salt
- 1 large plaice or lemon sole, skinned, pin-boned and cut into strips
- 300g/10½oz floury potatoes (such as Maris Piper), peeled, cut into 1cm/½in thick chips and rinsed in cold water
- ½ lemon, cut into wedges, for serving
For the crushed garden peas
- 50g/1¾oz frozen peas, defrosted
- 50g/1¾oz natural yoghurt
- pinch chilli flakes
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh mint
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
- For the fish and chips, heat the oil in a deep-fat fryer to 190C, or half fill a deep heavy pan with oil and heat until a breadcrumb sizzles and turns brown when dropped in. (Caution: Hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.)
- Sprinkle the yeast and sugar into a mixing bowl. Pour over the beer and vinegar and whisk in the flour and salt. Leave to ferment. It is ready to use when the mixture starts to bubble.
- Dip the fish in the batter and deep-fry until golden-brown and cooked through (about 3-4 minutes). Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.
- Add the potatoes to the deep-fat fryer and fry for 3-4 minutes, or until golden-brown and crisp. Remove from the pan using a slotted spoon and set aside to drain on kitchen paper.
- For the peas, place the peas, yoghurt, chilli flakes, salt and pepper into a blender and blend until almost smooth.
- Mix in the mint just before serving and serve immediately with the fish and chips. http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/fish_and_chips_with_26404
Roast Beef & Yorkshire Puddings
Ingredients
Fore rib beef (about 4 kgs/9 lbs), French trimmed, on the bone, chinned or any good topside from your local butcher.
- olive oil
- salt
- freshly cracked black pepper
For the Yorkshire pudding
- 3 eggs
- 115g/4oz flour
- 275ml/½ pint milk
- beef dripping
- salt
Method
- Preheat the oven to its highest setting.
- Rub the beef with the olive oil, salt and pepper all over.
- Put a heavy-based roasting tray on the hob and when hot, add the beef.
- Sear the beef quickly on all sides to colour and crisp the outside.
- Transfer the beef immediately to the oven and leave the oven on its highest setting (about 240C/460F/Gas 8) for 20 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to 190C/375F/Gas 5 and roast for half an hour per kilo for rare, adding another ten minutes per kilo for medium rare, 20 minutes per kilo for medium, and 30 minutes per kilo for well done.
- Remove the beef from the oven, transfer it to a carving board and cover with foil. Allow it to rest in a warm place for 30 minutes.
- For the Yorkshire pudding, mix together the eggs, flour and a pinch of salt.
- Add the milk, stirring constantly, until you have a runny batter.
- Leave this to rest, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 12 hours.
- Place 1cm/½in of beef dripping in the bottom of each pudding mould, or if you are using a rectangular roasting tray, place 1cm/½in of beef dripping across the bottom.
- Heat the dripping in the oven (at 240C/460F/Gas 8) for about ten minutes, until it is piping hot.
- Remove the roasting tray from the oven, pour in the batter, and immediately return to the oven. Bake for 25 minutes, until golden brown and crispy, making sure not to open the oven door for the first 20 minutes.
- Serve immediately with the carved roast beef. http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/roastbeefandyorkshir_72053
N.B I am not sure about the Yorkshire Pudding recipe above, I have had very little success making them, there is a good Youtube video here, looks promising? https://youtu.be/qGGP2jmR-fc
Spotted Dick Pudding
Ingredients
Method
- Put the flour and salt in a bowl. Add the suet, currants, sugar, lemon and orange zest.
- Pour in 150ml milk and mix to a firm but moist dough, adding the extra milk if necessary.
- Shape into a fat roll about 20cm long. Place on a large rectangle of baking parchment. Wrap loosely to allow for the pudding to rise and tie the ends with string like a Christmas cracker.
- Place a steamer over a large pan of boiling water, add the pudding to the steamer, cover and steam for 1 1/2 hours. Top up the pan with water from time to time.
- Remove from the steamer and allow to cool slightly before unwrapping. Serve sliced with custard.
