Ingredients
800 g potatoes
olive oil
1 rasher of higher-welfare smoked streaky bacon
100 g stale bread
50 g plain flour
1 large free-range egg
4 x 125 g white fish fillets, skin on, scaled, pin-boned, from sustainable sources
500 g frozen peas
1 bunch of mint (30g)
red wine vinegar
extra virgin olive oil
How to Prepare
Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/gas 7.
Scrub the potatoes, chop lengthways into 2cm wedges, toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of sea salt and black pepper, then arrange in a single layer on your largest roasting tray. Roast for 40 minutes, or until golden and cooked through, shaking halfway.
Meanwhile, roughly chop the bacon and place in a food processor, tear in the bread, add 1 tablespoon of oil, and blitz into fine crumbs, then spread across a plate. Spread the flour across a second plate, and beat the egg on another.
One by one, turn the fish in the flour, then the egg, letting any excess drip off, and finally turn in the bacon crumb. Line up on a non-stick baking tray and roast for 15 minutes, or until golden.
Cook the peas in a pan of boiling salted water, then drain and mash well.
Pick the mint leaves into a pestle and mortar, pound into a paste, then muddle in 1 tablespoon each of red wine vinegar and extra virgin olive oil, and season to perfection. Serve the fish and chips with the peas, dolloped with the mint sauce.
Some Tips
1. Feel free to add an extra flavor to your wedges as they roast, such as a herb or spice. My River just loves smoked paprika at the moment.
2.If you don’t want to use bacon in the crumb, swap it out for anchovy, sun-dried tomato, or a herb.
3. You can mix things up on the veg front. I like to add frozen edamame and broad beans to the peas before smashing them, or roughly chopped fresh asparagus or green beans would work a treat, too.