OK… so I may be mixing my nationalities with the introduction of an American beer, but they do work really well together! Also, it’s not as though Tilapia is true to the British offering to world cuisine anyway (I would have to use Cod, Haddock or even Plaice and then deep fry it in a humongous vat of four-day-old vegetable oil). Let’s just consider it my take on a classic!

Ingredients for two:

• 1lb tilapia fillet
• Lemon juice
• ½ glass of white wine
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 bunch of parsley
• 2 or 3 potatoes
• Olive oil
• ½ lb frozen peas
• 1 tbsp mint jelly
• 1 tbsp mascarpone (or cream cheese)
• 2+ bottles of brooklyn lager

 

Directions:

Start (as always) by marinading the fish with the lemon juice, white wine, 1 clove of garlic and parsley. Then chop the potato length ways into 1/2” strips and then again in the perpendicular direction to create a decent sized “chip”.

Place the chips into a large sauce pan of salted cold water and bring to the boil. Once the water is boiling, cook for a further 5 minutes and then carefully strain. Grease a baking tray with the olive oil and coat the chips thoroughly before placing them into a 400F oven.

The chips will probably take about 30 – 40 minutes to cook, depending upon the thickness, but at least you have an excuse to keep opening the oven and stealing one. Mwah ha ha ha! Ah… “tasting”, how frequently you have fed my gluttonous desires!

In the meantime; boil the peas for a couple of minutes, strain and then blend with the mint jelly, mascarpone and remaining garlic cloves until chunky. Taste, season and return to a saucepan ready to be reheated at the last minute.

Ten minutes before the chips are ready, heat a saucepan until smoking and sear the fish for a couple of minutes on each side. Now add any remaining marinade liquid and place a lid on the frying pan. Allow the fish to steam for a further couple of minutes whilst you reheat the peas and “taste” the chips.

Plate everything up, add salt and vinegar and drink with a very cold bottle of Brooklyn lager.