Deep-fried fish, mixed seafood and onion rings

Served on a bed of noodles and cucumber ribbons with a creamy caper mayonnaise dressing
Serves 4

The best way to complete a successful deep-fried meal is to prepare all the ingredients in advance and have the salad and dressing ready before cooking the fish and seafood.

The batter:
½ cup/125 ml cream
1 clove garlic, creamed
3 egg yolks
2 tablespoons/30 ml Parmesan cheese, finely grated
1 tablespoon/15 ml plain flour
1 tablespoon/15 ml cornstarch
½ cup/125 ml beer
pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper

 The fish and seafood:
120 g/4 oz firm white fish, skinned
120 g/4 oz prawns,
120 g/4 oz squid with tentacles
2 large onions, cut into 1 cm/0.4 in rings
flour for dusting
salt and freshly ground black pepper
oil for deep-frying

The caper mayonnaise:
2 hard-boiled eggs
½ teaspoon/3 ml Dijon mustard
salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup/125 ml peanut oil
2 teaspoons/10 ml white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon/15 ml capers, drained, rinsed and roughly chopped
2 tablespoons/30 ml gherkins (cornichons), finely chopped
1 tablespoon/15 ml of each of parsley, tarragon, chives and chervil,
finely chopped
paprika for sprinkling

This recipe contains raw eggs and is not suitable for pregnant women, the elderly or very young children.

The noodle salad:
250 g/9 oz noodles
1 tablespoon/15 ml olive oil
1 cucumber

For the batter:  In a large bowl mix cream, garlic, egg yolks, cheese, flour and cornstarch, then add the beer to make a smooth batter (you may not need all the beer).   Season with freshly ground black pepper.  It is important to be aware of the danger of working with hot oil.  See the safety tips for deep-frying.

Heat enough oil to 180° C/356° F in a pan suitable for deep-frying.
Cut the fish into 3 x 3 cm/1 x 1 in pieces, and peel and devein the prawns (reserving the shells for later use).  Remove the tentacles from the squid body (remove the beak from the tentacle), cut the squid open lengthwise, score on the inside.  

Working in batches, dust the fish and seafood with the seasoned flour and  shake off the excess.  Starting with the fish, dip into the batter, coating it all over, letting the excess batter drip off, then deep-fry for 2-3 minutes until golden brown.  Drain on kitchen towel and set aside in a  warm oven with the door ajar.  Repeat with the prawns but cook for 1 minute only.  Repeat with the tentacles, which will need to cook for only about 30 seconds. (Let the oil come back to the right temperature before frying each batch.)

Break the onion rings up and repeat the process for deep-frying, drain and set aside with the seafood.

Heat about ¼ cup/60 ml of oil in another frying pan and quickly fry the squid.  Keep warm.

For the caper mayonnaise: put the yolks of the boiled eggs with the mustard and salt and pepper in a pestle and mortar or blender and mix well until a smooth paste forms.  While mixing, add half the oil, drop by drop, until all the ingredients amalgamated well.  Carry on mixing and add the vinegar, then slowly add the rest of the oil.  Transfer the mixture to a bowl and mix in the rest of the ingredients except the paprika.  Check the seasoning and adjust if necessary. The paprika will be sprinkled over the sauce once it has be spooned onto the serving plates. Keep the sauce refrigerated until ready to serve.

Cook the noodles in salted water, until they still  have a bite to it.  Drain and toss with the olive oil.

On a mandolin, cut the cucumber into ribbons, sprinkle with salt, sugar and rice wine vinegar.  Set aside.

By the time you are ready to deep-fry, everything else must be prepared and ready for use as the crispiness of the batter will spoil if it sits for too long before serving.

To serve:
Serve the seafood and onion rings on a bed of noodles with the drained cucumber ribbons.  Drizzle the mayonnaise around and sprinkle the paprika over the mayonnaise.