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Fish and chips with Balkhash zander

Kazakh Edition
Pieces of zander in golden batter, fried potato sticks and lemon wedges on a plain light plate

zander from Lake Balkhash

Zander in a crisp sparkling-water batter, deep-fried potatoes and lemon

Zander from Lake Balkhash takes the place of cod: its fillet is just as firm and white, and in 2002 the Balkhash fish plant was named one of the main suppliers of zander fillet to Europe.

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Servings
4
Time
1 h 35 min
1 h 5 min of it active

Fish and chips. Today the fish comes from Lake Balkhash: zander is fished commercially there, and in 2002 Kazakhstan’s agriculture ministry named the Balkhash fish plant one of the main suppliers of zander fillet to Europe.

Ingredients

  • 600 g Balkhash zanderpike-perch fillet (the Balkhash catch is not sold everywhere, and if you cannot find it, any zander fillet will do)
  • 700 g potatoordinary potatoes: tubers of a similar size cook evenly
  • 60 g plain wheat flourwhite wheat flour, called all-purpose in the US
  • 60 g cornflourit goes into the batter with the flour
  • 1 tsp baking powdera raising agent for dough
  • 160 ml sparkling watermineral or plain, and cold
  • 1 tsp fine saltordinary table salt
  • ¼ tsp ground black peppersprinkled over the fish with the salt
  • 1000 ml sunflower oila neutral-tasting oil
  • 120 g lemonfresh, cut into wedges and served with the fish

Method

  1. Set aside 2 tablespoons of the flour for the fish. Mix the rest in a bowl with the starch, the baking powder and a pinch of salt. Pour in the cold sparkling water in a thin stream, whisking all the time, then chill the batter for 30 minutes.

  2. Peel the potatoes, cut them into thin sticks, tip them into a colander and rinse them well under cold water.

  3. Cover the potatoes with cold water in a pan and bring to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 3–4 minutes. Drain, spread the potatoes on paper towels to dry and salt them lightly.

  4. Cut the fillet crosswise into pieces and season them with salt and pepper.

  5. Pour the oil into a deep pan and heat it over medium heat. Stay by the stove and keep a lid within reach: if the oil starts to smoke, turn off the heat. Fry the potatoes in small batches for about 3 minutes, until golden, and lift them onto paper towels.

  6. Stir the batter. Dredge the fish in the flour you set aside, dip the pieces into the batter one at a time and lower them into the same oil. Fry for 6–8 minutes, turning a few times. Keep the pieces in a single layer.

  7. Check the thickest piece with a thermometer: the centre must read at least 70 °C. If it reads less, keep frying and check again. Lift the cooked fish onto paper towels.

  8. Cut the lemon into wedges. Serve the fish straight away with the potatoes and the lemon.

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