- 250ml/9floz red wine vinegar
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 75g/3oz light soft brown sugar
- 4 x 400g/14oz tinned tomatoes
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp English mustard powder
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- Tabasco sauce, to taste
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 1-2 tbsp cornflour
- 400g/14oz floury potatoes, peeled and cut into thick batons 6cm/2½in long and dried on kitchen paper
- 15g/2/3oz fresh yeast
- pinch sugar
- 200ml/7floz beer
- 1 tsp cider vinegar
- 200g/7oz plain flour
- pinch salt
- 4 x 175g/6oz cod fillet, skinned and pin bones removed
- For the tomato ketchup, place the vinegar, bay leaf, spices and sugar in a heavy-based pan and bring to a simmer.
- Add the remaining ingredients and bring to the boil, stirring to prevent any sticking.
- Reduce the temperature and simmer, stirring frequently for 30 minutes – be careful the mix doesn’t catch and burn.
- Blend in a food processor or liquidizer and strain the sauce through a sieve.
- If you find the sauce too thin once cold, then simply re-boil and thicken with a little cornflour mixed to a paste with water, being careful not to make it to starchy and too thick. This will prevent the tomato water separating from the sauce.
- Heat a deep fat fryer to 170C/350F (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended).
- Place the potatoes into the fat fryer in batches and cook for 2-3 minutes until just tender but not coloured.
- Drain onto kitchen paper and turn up the fat fryer to 190C/375F.
- Sprinkle the yeast and sugar into a mixing bowl.
- Pour over the beer and vinegar and whisk in the flour.and salt
- Leave to ferment – it is ready to use when the mixture starts to bubble.
- Dip the cod fillets into the batter and fry until golden-brown and cooked through – about 3-4 minutes.
- Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.
- Keep warm on a tray in the oven if necessary.
- Place the semi cooked chips back into the fat fryer in batches and cook for another 2-3 minutes until golden-brown and crisp.
- To serve, pile the chips onto the plate and place the cod alongside. Serve with a dollop of tomato ketchup.