Ingredients

• 225g/8oz dried marrowfat peas
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 25g/1oz butter
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 lemon
• cut into wedges
• 200g/7oz plain flour
• 15g/½oz fresh yeast
• pinch salt
• pinch caster sugar
• 200ml/7fl oz beer
• 1 tbsp cider vinegar
• vegetable oil
• for deep frying
• 4 x 200g/7oz hake fillet
• skin on
• pin boned and trimmed
• 1 onion
• sliced into rings
• 4 slices thick white bread
• butter
• for the bread
• optional
• 3 free-range egg yolks
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp cider vinegar
• 300ml/11fl oz rapeseed oil
• 50g/1¾oz capers
• 75g/2½oz gherkins
• chopped
• 1 shallot
• finely chopped
• 1 small bunch dill
• chopped
• 2 tbsp chopped flatleaf parsley
• ½ lemon
• juice only

Directions

• For the mushy peas
• soak the peas in a large bowl
• in three times their volume of water for at least 1½ hours or
• if you have the time
• overnight.
• Drain the peas
• rinse under the tap
• and place on the stove in a large pan and cover with the water. Add the bicarbonate of soda. Cover and bring to the boil and once boiled
• reduce the heat and simmer the peas for 1½-2 hours
• stirring from time to time.
• The peas should be soft and mushy in texture but not too dry. If they are wet
• continue cooking over the heat with the lid off to dry out a little. Beat in the butter and season with salt and pepper.
• For the beer battered hake
• combine the flour
• yeast
• salt and sugar in a bowl.
• Add the beer and vinegar and whisk until it forms a thick batter.
• Set aside to ferment for about 30 minutes. It is ready to use when the mixture starts to bubble.
• Heat a deep fat fryer to 190C/375F or heat the oil for deep-frying in a deep heavy-based frying pan until a breadcrumb sizzles and turns brown when dropped into it. (CAUTION: Hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.)
• Dip each piece of onion into the batter to coat thoroughly. Cook them in batches in the fat fryer
• and cook for 2-3 minutes until golden-brown and cooked through.
• Dip each piece of fish into the batter to coat thoroughly. Lower them carefully into the fryer
• and cook one at a time. Cook for 4-6 minutes until the fish is cooked through and the batter is golden-brown.
• Drizzle the remaining batter into the fat to make scraps.
• Butter the bread with the softened butter and cut in half.
• For rapeseed tartare sauce
• whisk together the egg yolks
• mustard and vinegar in a bowl or small processor.
• Still whisking
• start adding the rapeseed oil very slowly to make a mayonnaise - the mixture should be thick and light once the oil is incorporated.
• Stir in the capers
• gherkins
• shallot and herbs.
• Season with salt and pepper and a touch of lemon juice.
• To serve
• place the fish on plates
• with a spoonful of mushy peas alongside. Pile the bread and butter next to it and finish with a squeeze of lemon juice and spoonful of tartare sauce.