Ingredients

• 8 pieces of flaky fish
• 1 ½ cups all purpose flour (plus flour for coating)
• ½ cup cornstarch (corn flour)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp turmeric (optional for colour and a little spice taste)
• 1 ½ cups sparking very cold (soda) water
• Deep frying oil (Canola, Sunflower, Peanut)

See my perfect French Fries (Chips)

Steps

• Step 1

  In a mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients first, flour, corn starch (corn flour), baking powder, turmeric, salt. Mix well using a hand whisk.

• Step 2

  Heat up the deep fryer or oil to 350°F – 180°C

• Step 3

  Add the sparkling water to your dry mix and mix well until there are no lumps (a few small lumps are fine).

• Step 4

  Season the fish with fine salt from high on both sides.

• Step 5

  Add flour to a plate and coat your fish pieces in the flour. Shake away an excess. Completely dip the fish in batter.  Let the excess drip off.

• Step 6

  Lower the fish one third into the oil (be very careful if using your hands) and let the fish cook a few seconds while still holding it, then lower it completely. This will prevent it from dropping to the bottom where it could stick. Cook for 2 to 2½ minutes, depending on thickness. Thicker pieces will need longer.

• Step 7

  Remove from fryer and place on a cooling rack to drip any excess oil, serve immediately with hot chips (fries), tartar sauce and some lemon wedges.

Little Tips

Work with very cold batter, that's the secret to crispiness. Freezing the flour can also help. The fish must be served and eaten immediately. As the flesh is very moist and steaming on the inside, it only takes minutes for that steam to escape through the batter removing the crispiness. The soda water should be the freshest fizziest you can find, the larger and the bubbles and the fizziest it is, the best the results.