Battered Basa With Salt & Vinegar Chips And Mushy Peas

Preheat the oven to 220°C/ 200°C (fan)/ gas 7 and boil a full kettle

Peel your potatoes and cut into chunky chips, then add to a pot with plenty of boiled water and a pinch of salt and bring to the boil over a high heat

Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 6-8 min or until slightly softened

Peel and finely chop your shallot[s]

Combine the chopped shallot with your mayo and the juice of half your lemon[s] in a small bowl

Season with a pinch of salt and give everything a good stir – this is your lemon mayo

Once done, drain the softened chunky chips (save the pot!) and shake them around the colander to fluff up the edges

Add the chunky chips to a baking tray with a generous drizzle of vegetable oil and a pinch of salt

Put the tray in the oven for 30 min or until crispy and golden

Meanwhile, combine your Marmite and 80ml [120ml] [160ml] cold water in a small bowl, stirring continuously until fully combined – this is your Marmite water

Add 60g [90g] [120g] flour to a separate large bowl with half of your red wine vinegar (save the rest for later!), a generous pinch of salt and the Marmite water

Stir everything together thoroughly until there are no lumps, then set aside for later – this is your batter

Pat your basa fillet[s] dry with kitchen paper and cut each fillet in half on a diagonal

Season the basa with a pinch of salt and sprinkle both sides with flour until fully coated, then tap off any excess

Reboil a kettle

Heat a large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick) with a very generous drizzle of vegetable oil (enough to coat the base of the pan) over a high heat

Once the pan is hot, dip the floured basa into the batter and turn it several times until fully coated, then add the coated basa to the pan and cook for 4-5 min on each side until cooked through, golden and crispy – this is your battered fish

Tip: Your fish is cooked once it turns opaque and flakes easily

Add your blanched peas to the reserved pot, cover them with boiled water and bring to the boil over a high heat

Cook for 1 min or until they're warmed through, then drain and return to the pot with a knob of butter

Mash the peas until they come together nicely – these are your mushy peas

Cut the remaining lemon into wedges