Beer Battered Tofu Fish and Chips

David and Charlotte Bailey

…with tartar sauce and British-style mushy peas.

We’re suckers for anything battered once in a while and this really hits the spot. The tofu is a wonderful substitute in this classic British dish and the nori really adds the taste of the sea. Served with thick-cut fries, piquant tartar sauce to liven it up and a healthy dose of mushy peas, this is a dish to treasure. Serve, of course, with cheap malt vinegar.

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Ingredients

1½ cups plain (all-purpose) flour
1 tsp cornstarch, plus extra to dust
1½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp garlic powder
1 tsp chili powder
1¹⁄³ cups pale ale (make sure you get a vegan one)
12oz/1 block firm tofu, drained and cut into 8–10 slices
1 sheet nori, cut into pieces to match the tofu slices
Salt and pepper
1 lemon, cut into wedges to serve
For the chips:
4–5 Maris Piper potatoes (or Russet if you can’t find them), peeled and cut into chunky chip shapes and left to dry out on a tea towel
3¼ cups vegetable oil
For the mushy peas:
7oz/1¼ cups fresh or frozen peas
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
A handful of fresh mint, finely chopped
For the Tartar Sauce:
½ jar vegan mayonnaise
2 tbsp capers, rinsed
1 pickle, chopped
½ shallot, chopped
1 tbsp chopped fresh dill
a twist of lemon

…with tartar sauce and British-style mushy peas.

Preparation

Serves 2

Method

To make the chips, heat the oil to about 320˚F. When a cube of bread browns in about 40 seconds, put half the chips in – you’re going to cook them in two batches – and fry for about 10 minutes until the insides are soft. Keep the temperature constant. Remove with a slotted spoon and leave to drain on a baking sheet covered with kitchen paper (paper towels).
While the chips are draining, make the beer batter by combining the flour, cornstarch, onion, garlic and chili powders with the ale, mixing thoroughly. In a pan, heat the oil to about 340˚F. Check the temperature by putting a couple of drops of batter in the oil and seeing if it crisps up.
Dust the tofu and nori slices with a little cornstarch, then coat with the batter mixture and add to the hot oil in batches. They should take about 3–4 minutes to get really crisp. Flip them over midway so that they get nice and golden on both sides. Remove with a slotted spoon, place on some kitchen paper to soak up any excess oil and season to taste.
When you’re ready to eat, heat the oil to 375˚F, put the chips back in and cook until they’re golden and crispy. This should take about 6 minutes. Meanwhile, put the peas in boiling water with a little salt, bring to the boil, then cook for a couple of minutes until they’re slightly overdone. Strain, put them back in the pan, then crush with a potato masher, adding a little water if necessary to make them soft. Add the apple cider vinegar and chopped mint. Season with salt and pepper and slowly heat while mixing for a couple of minutes.
Put everything together on a (big!) plate with a generous wedge of lemon and a dollop of Tartar Sauce* and enjoy.

* Tartar Sauce: Simply mix all the ingredients together and chill until ready to serve. The sauce can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days.