Fizz and Chips: The perfect recipe for a Fish supper

This luxury take on one of Britain’s favourite fish dishes deserves something extraordinary to wash it down with – and what could be more special than a good bottle of Champagne?

Waitrose Blanc de Noirs with Tempura cod & prawns with shoestring fries & tartare sauce

Waitrose Blanc de Noirs | Champagne, France, NV, 12% ABV

Now £21.99

If you have white wine with fish and chips, why not have Champagne with posh fish and chips? This delicious award winner is made from Pinot Noir grapes – hence the blanc de noirs (white from black) on the label. It’s bubbly and fruity, and perfect with the frothy tempura batter and the very thin chips in this recipe, which is a fun twist on the traditional dish. I’m very happy with this playful match.

Recipe

• Serves 4
• Prepare 15 minutes
• Cook 25 minutes

Ingredients

For the tartare sauce:

• 100g mayonnaise
• 1/2 x 25g pack flat leaf parsley, leaves chopped
• 1/2 x 20g pack tarragon, leaves chopped
• Juice half a lemon
• 1 tbsp cornichons, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp capers, finely chopped

For the fries:

• 3 large floury potatoes, such as Maris Piper

For the tempura:

• Vegetable oil for deep frying
• 1 medium Waitrose British Blacktail Free Range Egg yolk
• 100g cornflour
• 100g self-raising flour
• 175-200ml ice-cold sparkling water
• 2 ice cubes
• 400g cod loin, cut into bite-sized chunks
• 12 raw tiger prawns, peeled, deveined, tails left on
• Sea salt
• Lemon wedges to serve

1. For the tartare sauce combine the mayonnaise, herbs and lemon juice in a food processor and blend until smooth. Pour into a bowl, stir in the cornichons and capers, and season to taste.

2. Peel the potatoes and cut them into matchsticks. Rinse for 2-3 minutes under cold running water to remove the excess starch, then pat dry on kitchen paper.

3. Heat the oil in a deep fryer or large wok to 160°C. Fry the potatoes in batches for 30 seconds until softened, then drain on kitchen paper.

4. Increase the oil temperature to 180°C. When the oil is ready, combine the egg yolk and flours in a bowl and gradually whisk in the sparkling water and ice cubes; the batter should be the consistency of whipping cream.

5. Dip the cod and prawns in the batter, shaking off any excess and fry in batches for 4-5 minutes, until pale golden and crisp. Drain on kitchen paper and season with sea salt.

6. Remove any excess batter from the oil with a slotted spoon and cook the fries in batches for 3-4 minutes, until golden brown. Drain on kitchen paper and season with sea salt. Serve with the tartare sauce and lemon wedges.