Ingredients

• 250ml/9floz red wine vinegar
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ tsp ground coriander
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 75g/3oz light soft brown sugar
• 4 x 400g/14oz tinned tomatoes
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp English mustard powder
• 1 garlic clove
• crushed
• Tabasco sauce
• to taste
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 1-2 tbsp cornflour
• 400g/14oz floury potatoes
• peeled and cut into thick batons 6cm/2½in long and dried on kitchen paper
• 15g/2/3oz fresh yeast
• pinch sugar
• 200ml/7floz beer
• 1 tsp cider vinegar
• 200g/7oz plain flour
• pinch salt
• 4 x 175g/6oz cod fillet
• skinned and pin bones removed

Directions

• For the tomato ketchup
• place the vinegar
• bay leaf
• spices and sugar in a heavy-based pan and bring to a simmer.
• Add the remaining ingredients and bring to the boil
• stirring to prevent any sticking.
• Reduce the temperature and simmer
• stirring frequently for 30 minutes - be careful the mix doesn’t catch and burn.
• Blend in a food processor or liquidizer and strain the sauce through a sieve.
• If you find the sauce too thin once cold
• then simply re-boil and thicken with a little cornflour mixed to a paste with water
• being careful not to make it to starchy and too thick. This will prevent the tomato water separating from the sauce.
• Heat a deep fat fryer to 170C/350F (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended).
• Place the potatoes into the fat fryer in batches and cook for 2-3 minutes until just tender but not coloured.
• Drain onto kitchen paper and turn up the fat fryer to 190C/375F.
• Sprinkle the yeast and sugar into a mixing bowl.
• Pour over the beer and vinegar and whisk in the flour.and salt
• Leave to ferment – it is ready to use when the mixture starts to bubble.
• Dip the cod fillets into the batter and fry until golden-brown and cooked through – about 3-4 minutes.
• Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.
• Keep warm on a tray in the oven if necessary.
• Place the semi cooked chips back into the fat fryer in batches and cook for another 2-3 minutes until golden-brown and crisp.
• To serve
• pile the chips onto the plate and place the cod alongside. Serve with a dollop of tomato ketchup.