Saturday, November 17, 2012

Beer-battered fish with Gribiche sauce

This week's posts were scheduled in advance. B and I are on a 5-day mini-getaway to Naples, Florida where my friend generously lent us his condo (YAY!!). B's been working really hard and this past year has been such a tough one for him that I'm more excited to see him relax than anything else. I didn't have as many outfit posts ready to go as I thought, but I have been cooking up a storm. I thought this beer-battered fish would be a good tribute to Florida's seafood culture. I don't have a deep-fryer; this version uses a hot saucepan and a generous heaping of oil. This recipe requires some careful attention in the kitchen.

To make batter:
In a large bowl, combine 8oz flour, 1-1/2 tsp baking soda and pepper. Gradually add 8oz beer (I used a Scottish bitter ale) and a splash of vinegar. Whisk vigorously to remove lumps. The mixture should look a bit thicker than pancake batter.

To prepare and cook fish:
Pat 4 haddock fillets dry. Dredge in flour, shake off excess, then dunk in batter. Coat the bottom of a large skillet with canola oil and heat until very hot but not quite smoking. Use a splatter guard if you have one. Cook fish for about 3 minutes per side. Remove pan from heat, then gently remove fish from oil and drain on paper towels.

To make Gribiche sauce: 
Hard boil two eggs and finely chop. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1/2 tsp Dijon, 1/2 tsp white wine vinegar, 1T chopped gherkin pickles, 1T chopped capers, and 1/2 tsp each of parsley, chervil and tarragon (fresh or dried).  


To serve:
Serve fish wrapped in newspaper with a piece of lemon and tied with a piece of raffia, with the sauce on the side.

Click here for original fish batter recipe. 
Gribiche recipe is adapted from Le Cordon Bleu.


1 comment:

  1. Katie of Ak Weredork25 November 2012 at 01:45

    Welll, it does seem like you two had a fabulous time down there!
    I never use a deep fryer, a deep pan with oil seems to work pretty well, but your presentation on this is adorable with the newspaper tied up! (I like this idea, how fun for a little party.)

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