Battered Haddock Fillet with Healthy Option Chips and Salad

Battered fillet of fish served with chips is most often thought of as a most unhealthy concoction. This is because the fish and the chips are normally fried in hot fat, such as beef dripping, and can often be very greasy as a consequence. In this instance, however, the battered fish is fried in sunflower oil and the chips are cooked in the oven.

Ingredients (Per Person)

1 skinless fillet of haddock
1 large Maris Piper potato
1 tomato
4 large lettuce leaves (shredded)
1/2 small onion (finely sliced)
1 tbsp plain flour
Refrigerated soda water
Salt
Sunflower oil
Slice of fresh lemon

Method

The oven should be put on to preheat to 400F/200C/Gas Mark 6. A baking sheet lightly covered with sunflower oil should be placed inside to also heat. The potato should be washed but not peeled then sliced and cut in to chip sized pieces. If you prefer to peel the potato, that is of course fine. When the oven is heated, the chips should be placed on the baking sheet, carefully shaken around to coat them in the oil and placed in the oven for around twenty-five minutes, being removed to be shaken again half-way through cooking.

A large pan should be filled with sunflower oil to a depth of around two inches and the oil heated until it splutters angrily when a little cold water is shaken in to it. The flour should be seasoned with salt and enough cold soda water stirred in to it to bring it to a consistency of thick custard. The fish should then be dragged through the batter and added to the oil, to fry for two minutes each side.

While the fish is cooking, the lettuce, onion and tomato should be prepared and plated as shown. The way in which I have carved the tomato is not essential but it is fairly easily performed with a small paring knife. The slice of lemon should be cut and twisted to serve as the final garnish for the fish.