Recipe — 25 minutes · serves 3–4 as a starter · Moderate
Crispy Fried Halibut Cheek Bites with Tartar
Lightly battered cheek nuggets, fried three minutes, dipped in tartar. The best fish and chips you'll ever make without a fillet.
Buy the fish for this recipe
Ingredients
- —450 g (1 lb) halibut cheeks, halved if large
- —120 g flour
- —40 g cornstarch
- —1 tsp baking powder
- —200 ml very cold sparkling water or lager
- —Neutral oil, for frying
- —Salt, lemon, tartar sauce
Method
- 01
Heat 5 cm of oil to 180°C (355°F).
- 02
Whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and a good pinch of salt, then stir in the cold water just until combined — lumps are fine.
- 03
Pat the cheeks dry, dust lightly in plain flour, then dip in the batter and let the excess run off.
- 04
Fry in small batches 3 minutes, turning once, until pale gold and crisp. Don't crowd the pot.
- 05
Drain on a rack, salt immediately, and serve with tartar and lemon.
From the counter: Keep the batter ice cold and fry straight away — that temperature gap is what makes it shatter-crisp.