Well then here goes. The first blog post. I don't have the foggiest what to put at the top here, gonna try not to put my life story at the beginning of each post.
This recipe we took from Rick Stein, the recipe can be found on the BBC Food website.
Top Tip: Make sure the beer is extra cold, it will help make the batter extra crispy when cooked.
INGREDIENTS
For the chipotle crema
2 chipotles en adobo, finely chopped
3 tbsp mayonnaise
3 tbsp soured cream
½ lime, juice only
flaked sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
For the pico de gallo salsa
2 large ripe tomatoes, deseeded and finely chopped
½ onion, finely chopped
handful fresh coriander, roughly chopped
1 green serrano or jalapeno chilli, finely chopped
1 lime, juice only
For the pickled cabbage
1/2 small red cabbage, finely sliced
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
flaked sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
For the batter
1 litre/1¾ pints corn or vegetable oil
300g/10½oz plain flour
½ tsp baking powder
275ml/9½fl oz ice-cold lager
600g/1lb 5oz cod fillet, preferable Icelandic, cut into chunks
To serve
12 corn tortillas
1 avocado, diced
hot chilli sauce
METHOD
To make the chipotle crema, mix the ingredients together with a pinch of salt in a small bowl and set aside.
To make the salsa, mix all the ingredients together with ½ teaspoon of salt in a small bowl, and set aside.
To make the pickled cabbage, place all of the ingredients in a bowl, add a pinch of salt and pinch of sugar, stir together and set aside.
Heat the oil in a large heavy-based pan to 190C (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended).
To make the batter, sift 200g/7oz of the flour, 1 teaspoon of salt and the baking powder into a large bowl. Whisk in the lager until smooth. Tip the remaining100g/3½oz flour into a small bowl and season well with salt and pepper.
In batches, coat the fish in the seasoned flour, shake off the excess, then dip into the batter. Fry each piece for 2–3 minutes, until crisp and golden-brown. Repeat until all the fish is cooked. Drain each batch on kitchen paper to remove any excess oil. Sprinkle lightly with salt.
Warm the tortillas in a dry frying pan, microwave or oven. (I like to cook mine over the flame on the gas hob, just lay it on the hob frame, flipping and rotating it every 10-15 seconds, making sure it doesn't burn).
Serve the fish immediately in the warm tortillas, with the cabbage, avocado, salsa and sauces on the side.
ENJOY!