For the salt and vinegar batter
175 g plain flour
2 tbsp salt
125 ml water
150 ml malt vinegar
For the fish cakes
16 slices potatoes, each 3mm thick
450 g fish fillets, (cod or haddock)
1 dashes of plain flour, for dusting
1 bottles vegetable oil, for deep frying
For the big chips
4 potatoes, (King Edward or Cara)
For the minted mashed peas
350 g frozen peas
50 g butter
1 shallots, chopped
1 bunches mint, chopped
1 pinches black pepper
1 splashes malt vinegar
METHOD
1. To make the batter: Put the flour and salt in a bowl, and make a well in the centre. Add the water and vinegar and whisk until smooth. Leave to rest.
2. Using a 6cm cutter, cut the potato slices into rounds. Cut the fish into 8 thin pieces of a similar size.
3. Dust the fish pieces lightly with flour and shake off the excess. Sandwich the pieces of fish between two pieces of potato. Dip the cakes into flour and shake off the excess, then dip into the batter to cover well.
4. Heat the oil in a deep fat fryer to 190C. Carefully drop a fish cake into the hot fat and let it settle to the bottom. Add another couple of fish cakes if there is room. They will rise to the top when hot enough; this should take about 5 minutes.
5. Turn them over, then leave to cook for another 5 minutes until brown. Remove from the fryer and drain well on kitchen paper.
6. For the chips: Peel and rinse the potatoes. Cut them into chunky chips, about 7.5cm long. Dry the chips with some kitchen paper and then cook in a fryer at 150C until cooked through but still pale.
7. Remove the chips from the fryer and increase the oil temperature to 200C. Place the chips back in the fryer (as you do this the temperature will automatically drop, so cook until slightly brown and then remove).
8. Let the oil return to 200C again and cook the chips for one last time until golden brown.
9. Drain the chips on some kitchen paper and then sprinkle with salt.
10. For the peas: Melt the butter in a frying pan, add the shallots and cook gently without letting them colour.
11. Add the mint and cook for 30 seconds. Add the peas and cook for three minutes. Season with salt and pepper and then add the vinegar. Cook for 1 minute and then crush using a potato masher or fork.
12. Serve the hot fish cakes, chips and minted peas together and eat immediately.
Known locally as a Sarnie, 15 miles away, Northwards, as a Scone, 17 miles to the East, as a Fish Cake.
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