Crispy pollack with pickled carrots and sweet vinegar dressing

Quick recipe finder Crispy pollack with pickled carrots and sweet vinegar dressing

Preparation time

1-2 hours

Cooking time

10 to 30 mins

Serves

Serves 4

Deep-fried fish pieces flavoured with lime, paprika and coriander. Keep the batter mixture chilled for a wonderfully light and crisp batter.

Ingredients

600g/1lb 5oz pollack fillet, skinned and pin boned, cut into 4cm/1½in square pieces
salt
3 tbsp chopped coriander
1 green chilli, seeds removed, finely chopped
1 lime, zest only
1 tsp smoked paprika
100ml/3½fl oz white wine
100ml/3½fl oz white wine vinegar
100g/3½oz sugar
3 carrots, cut into matchstick-sized pieces
1 banana shallot, sliced
2 garlic cloves, sliced in half and germ removed
75g/2½oz plain flour, plus extra for dusting the fish
75g/2½oz cornflour
200ml/7fl oz ice cold soda water
sunflower oil, for deep frying
2 spring onions, finely sliced
120ml/4fl oz cold press rapeseed oil

Season the fish pieces with salt, two tablespoons of the chopped coriander, half the chilli, the lime zest and smoked paprika in a bowl. Set aside for at least 30 minutes and preferably a few hours.
Put the wine, vinegar, sugar and 100ml/3½fl oz of water in a pan and heat to a simmer.
Place the carrots, shallot, garlic and green chilli into a bowl and pour the simmering pickling juice over. Submerge the carrots using a piece of cling film to hold them in place. Leave to cool.
To make the batter, mix together the flour and cornflour with a pinch of salt in a bowl. Add the soda water and keep the batter chilled, ideally on ice, until needed.
Preheat a deep fat fryer to 180C/350F, or half-fill a heavy-bottomed pan with sunflower oil. (Caution: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.) Dust the fish with flour and pat off any excess.
Dip the pieces of fish into the batter and carefully drop them into the fryer one by one. Cook for two minutes and then transfer to a on a plate lined with kitchen paper. Season the crispy batter with a touch more salt.
Drain the carrots and discard the garlic. Mix the remaining tablespoon of chopped coriander and the spring onions with the carrot mixture, season with salt and dress with the rapeseed oil. Serve the fried fish on a platter with the pickled carrot salad.

BBC One

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