This recipe is from the cookbook Matt Moran (Lantern) by Matt Moran.
Fish and chips always remind me of holidays and hot summer evenings at a beach house. King George whiting is a wonderful Australian fish, with a delicate texture but an intense flavour. Japanese breadcrumbs are available from speciality Asian food stores. I prefer them as they’re finer, but regular dried breadcrumbs can be used if necessary. It is important to make sure that your oil is both hot and fresh, as you don’t want the fish to take on the flavour of stale oil. I like to use a neutral-tasting oil, such as grapeseed or vegetable oil. Sauce gribiche is a variation on the traditional tartare sauce and, of course, you must have plenty of lemon on hand.
Ingredients
Sauce gribiche
Method
Main
1.To make the sauce gribiche, hard-boil the eggs for 7-8 minutes, then shell them and separate the whites from the yolks. Roughly chop the whites (keep the yolks for a sandwich), then transfer to a bowl. Add the gherkins, capers, mayonnaise, chervil and tarragon and stir to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
2. For the fish, lightly whisk the eggs and milk together in a bowl. Sift the flour onto a large plate, and scatter the Japanese breadcrumbs over another large plate. Pass the whiting fillets through the flour, shaking off the excess, then dip them into the egg and milk mixture before coating in the breadcrumbs. Heat the oil and butter in a large frying pan until hot, then pan-fry the fish for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown. When the fish is cooked, place on kitchen paper to absorb any excess oil.
3.Allow four pieces of fish per person, and serve with sauce gribiche and a lemon half alongside.
Drink Suggestion: A chilled bottle of New Zealand sauvignon blanc is the obvious wine choice here, a refreshing white with flavours of ripe pineapple and mangoes, and a crisp dry finish. Drink suggestion by Peter Sullivan