Red Beer Batter Fish & Chips with Bacon Tartar Sauce
This Red Beer Batter Fish & Chips recipe with Bacon Tartar Sauce and Sweet Tangy Coleslaw from 2 Doors Down combines local fish with Nova Scotia craft beer for a true Maritime flavour.
Ingredients
| 4 | 6 oz fresh Nova Scotia haddock fillets |
| canola oil | |
| 4 servings | french fries |
| 2 | lemons, wedged |
| Beer Batter (see below) | |
| Coleslaw (see below) | |
| Bacon Tartar Sauce (see below) | |
Directions
1. Cut fresh fillets into 8 3 oz portions with a sharp knife.
2. Layer onto plate with clean J-cloths and store in fridge.
3. When ready, preheat deep fryer with canola oil to 375 F.
4. Dredge fish, one piece at a time in a bit of flour. Shake off excess flour and place fish in batter.
5. Using a fork gently coat both sides and let excess batter drip off.
6. Cook fish one piece at a time (or two if you have enough room).
7. Flip fish in fryer halfway through cooking and remove when batter is deep golden brown (3-5 minutes).
8. Place fish on dripping rack or thick paper towel.
9. After fish is cooked use a slotted spoon to remove excess batter from fryer, and deep fry the french fries until golden brown.
10. Salt the fries as desired. Serve with lemon wedges, coleslaw, and bacon tartar sauce. Serves 4-6 people.
Beer Batter Ingredients
| 2 cups | all-purpose flour |
| 1 tbsp | baking powder |
| 1 tsp | cayenne pepper |
| 1 tsp | salt |
| 1 tsp | black pepper |
| 355 ml bottle | Big Spruce Ready Yer Knot Regatta Red Irish Red Ale |
| water, as needed |
Beer Batter Directions
1. In a bowl combine all dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.
2. Make a well in the centre of the bowl and add in beer.
3. Mix gently with a whisk until batter is wet but still quite lumpy. Add some water if mixture is too thick while mixing.
Coleslaw Ingredients
| 1 cup | apple cider vinegar |
| 1/2 cup | sugar |
| 2 tsp | mustard seed |
| 1/2 | green cabbage |
| 2 | granny smith apples, julienned |
| 1 large | carrot, grated |
| 1/2 | cucumber, julienned |
| 1/4 cup | mayonnaise |
Coleslaw Directions
1. Combine vinegar, sugar and mustard seed into a pot and heat until sugar is dissolved, and let brine cool at room temperature for 15 minutes
2. Mix all vegetables together and place them in a deep rectangular container.
3. Pour the brine over the vegetables, put a clean weight on top, and allow to refrigerate overnight.
4. To serve, strain liquid from the mixture.
Bacon Tartar Sauce Ingredients
| 1 | dill pickle, minced |
| 1/4 cup | sweet cornichons, minced |
| 1/4 cup | capers, minced |
| 1/4 cup | green olives, minced |
| 1 tbsp | dijon mustard |
| 1 tbsp | hot sauce |
| 1 tbsp | fresh chives, diced |
| 1 tbsp | fresh tarragon, minced |
| 1 cup | crispy Nova Scotia bacon, bits (Pork Shop or Meadowbrook Meat Market) |
| 1 tbsp | bacon fat |
| 1 tsp | minced garlic |
| 1 | lemon, zest and juice |
| 1 litre | mayonnaise |
| salt and pepper, to taste |
Bacon Tartar Sauce Directions
1. Combine all ingredients except mayo, salt, pepper, lemon juice and bacon and put in food processor.
2. Process to an even but chunky consistency.
3. Fold in with mayo, add the lemon juice and bacon, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Recipe provided by: Alex Baird, 2 Doors Down,
2 Doors Down Food + Wine is a casual, neighbourhood restaurant in the heart of downtown Halifax. Our food is fresh, seasonal and locally sourced from the farms of Nova Scotia to your table.