beer battered fish tacos

• 150g plain flour
• 75g cornflour
• ½ tsp fine sea salt
• 230ml cold beer
• vegetable oil, for deep-frying
• 4 skinless and boneless cod loins, cut in to 3cm pieces
• 8 small soft corn tortillas
• 2 Little Gem lettuces, shredded
• hot sauce, to serve (optional)

For the pickled onions

• 150ml white wine vinegar
• 1 tsp coriander seeds, crushed
• 1 tsp peppercorns
• 2 tbsp caster sugar
• 1 large red onion, finely sliced

For the tartare sauce

• 150g mayonnaise
• ½ small bunch of dill, finely chopped
• ½ small bunch of basil, finely chopped
• ½ tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp capers, chopped

Method

• STEP 1

  First, make the pickled onions. Put the vinegar in a pan with 150ml water, the coriander seeds, peppercorns, sugar and 1 tsp salt over a medium heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Scoop the onions into a bowl and carefully pour over the hot pickling liquid. Leave to cool for 15 mins, then cover and chill for at least 1 hr. Will keep chilled for up to two days.

• STEP 2

  For the tartare sauce, mix together all the ingredients, then cover and chill. Will keep chilled for up to two days.

• STEP 3

  Sift the flour and cornflour into a bowl, then stir through the salt. Make a well in the centre and whisk in the cold beer to make a smooth batter. Cover and chill for 30 mins.

• STEP 4

  Heat the oil in a deep, heavy-based pan, no more than two-thirds full, until the oil reaches 190C on a cooking thermometer. If you don’t have a thermometer, check the oil is ready by dropping a small cube of bread into the oil – it should turn brown in about 10 seconds.

• STEP 5

  Dip each piece of cod into the batter to fully coat, then gently shake off the excess. Fry the fish in batches for 4 mins per batch, then remove using a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.

• STEP 6

  Warm your tortillas in a low oven or in a dry frying pan. Spread over the tartare sauce, then add the fish and top with the pickled onions and shredded lettuce, plus a dash of hot sauce, if you like. Best enjoyed with a cold beer.