Tom's posh fish and chips

Ingredients

4 halibut fillets, about 180g each

sea salt flakes, to taste

lemon wedges, to serve

4 large potatoes for chipping

vegetable oil for deep-frying

For the tartare sauce

3 egg yolks

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

4 teaspoons white wine vinegar

500ml vegetable oil

2 hard-boiled eggs, grated

1 shallot, finely chopped

2 tblsp finely chopped gherkins

2 tblsp capers drained and finely chopped

2 tblsp finely chopped parsley

For the beer batter

2 egg whites

240ml beer or sparkling water

350g self-raising white flour

large pinch of bicarbonate of soda

For the pea purée

25g butter

1 shallot, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon sea salt flakes

100ml chicken stock

1 tablespoon finely chopped mint

350g frozen peas, defrosted

4 teaspoons caster sugar

Method

For the chips: top and tail each potato, then use an apple corer to cut out the centres. Add to a large saucepan of salted water, for about 5 mins until tender. Remove from the water and leave them to drain. When completely dry, heat enough oil for deep-frying in a deep-fat fryer or heavy-based saucepan. Add the potatoes and fry for 8-10 mins then leave to cool completely.

For tartare sauce place the egg yolks, Dijon mustard and white wine vinegar in a food processor and blend until smooth. Slowly add the oil until the mixture emulsifies and thickens. Stir in the remaining ingredients and season. Cover and keep in the fridge until needed. To make the pea purée, melt the butter in a saucepan over a low heat. Add the shallots and sea salt and fry, stirring occasionally, for at least 5 mins until softened. Add the chicken stock and mint and bring to the boil. Add the peas and sugar, return the stock to the boil and boil for 5-6 mins until the peas are tender. Strain, then transfer them to a blender. Add 2 tablespoons of the cooking liquid and blend until smooth. Then set aside and keep hot. To make the batter, mix the egg whites and beer together until fluffy. Mix the flour and bicarbonate of soda together in a large bowl and add the egg-white mix. Just before you are ready to fry the fish, fry the potatoes for a second time. Dip the fish into the batter and fry for 3–5 mins until crispy and golden brown. Sprinkle with sea salt and serve immediately with the chips, pea purée and tartare sauce and lemon wedges for squeezing over.