I have your Friday night fakeaway ready for you! Yes this is a very naughty recipe, but let’s just put that aside. Let’s focus on the positives here. Homemade crispy chip shop style fish, spicy harissa mayonnaise with crisp shredded lettuce and a soft brioche bun, served with homemade chips. Yes please!

If we can’t have a treat on a Friday night then when can we? Any other day of the week for me but let’s not get into that right now. This recipe was so much fun and surprisingly easy to make. I know I say that a lot but it really was!

For the fish burgers, I used cod but you can use any chunky white fish you have. Make sure its nice and dry otherwise it will spit in the fryer. You can add a pinch of salt to the fish to draw out any excess water.

For the batter, I used self raising flour and lemonade. The lemonade gave a lovely zesty taste and fizz to the batter. You could also use ginger beer or real beer. I added a pinch of smoked paprika to the batter too for a spice kick.

For the chips, I baked them in the oven as I didn’t want to fry everything, that would be madness. I have a couple of tips below to make oven chips really crisp on the outside and fluffy in the middle. I really recommend sprinkling Maldon salt over the chips once they are baked, a little goes a long way and the taste is so delicious compared to regular table salt.

I used Belazu Rose Harissa and oh wow the taste is incredible! You can find it in all the main supermarkets and you won’t be disappointed.

Here’s what you need:

• 2 cod fillets
• 2 seeded burger buns
• 100g self raising flour (approx)
• lemonade
• smoked paprika
• shredded lettuce
• mayonnaise
• harissa
• maris piper potatoes
• maldon salt (optional)
• vegetable oil for frying

1. Cut the potatoes into chips leaving the skin on and soak in water. This will draw out all of the starch and make them crispier in the oven. Soak for at least 30 mins and then rinse. Place the chips onto a kitchen towel and dry as much as possible. Then add them to a bowl and toss with some olive oil. Place in a baking tray and bake for approximately 40 minutes at 180c or until golden and crisp. Don’t add salt until after they are baked as the salt can dry out the chips in the oven.
2. For the batter, add the flour to a bowl with a pinch of salt, pepper and smoked paprika. Add enough lemonade and whisk to the consistency of a thick pancake batter, but start slowly as you don’t want your batter to be too thin.
3. Heat your vegetable oil in a small but deep pan to approximately 180c. If you don’t have a thermometer you could test if the oil is hot enough by adding a tiny bit of batter, if it sizzles, it’s ready. Add the fish to the batter and fry carefully for approximately 5 minutes, turning occasionally until golden brown and cooked through. Place on a plate with a kitchen towel to drain off any excess oil and sprinkle a pinch of Maldon salt on top (optional).
4. Meanwhile, toast your burger buns on a grill pan or in the oven until warm and charred. Shred your lettuce finely and mix the mayonnaise and harissa together. How much harissa you use is up to you, the more you use the spicier it will be!
5. Build your burger and serve with your homemade oven chips. Enjoy!!

This recipe was such a hit for me and my husband (what isn’t nowadays) and I will definitely be making this again. I don’t fry fish often at all, but once in a blue moon really makes it special. Go on, you know you want to try it this Friday. Let me know if you do!

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Check out my website at www.jbimagery.co.uk