Cape-Style Spicy Beer-Battered Fish Bites

For the fish: 1 kg fresh, firm-fleshed white fish fillets, deboned and skinned 3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced a thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, finely grated 2 tsp (10 ml) lemon juice salt and milled black pepper a little rice flour oil for deep-frying

For the batter: ¾ cup (180 ml) rice flour ¾ cup (180 ml) chickpea [channa] flour 2 tsp (10 ml) cumin 2 tsp (10 ml) powdered coriander 1 tsp (5 ml) turmeric 1 tsp (5 ml) red chilli powder (or more, to taste) 1 ½ tsp (7.5 ml) salt milled black pepper 1 x 330 ml can of ice-cold lager

To serve: lemon wedges flaky sea salt a dip of your choice

First make the batter. Sift the rice flour and chickpea flour into a mixing bowl and add the spices, salt and pepper. Gently pour the beer over the dry ingredients and whisk lightly until you have a smooth, slightly puffy batter about the thickness of cream. Don’t over-mix the batter. Place in the fridge for 10 minutes.

Cut the fish into 2-cm square cubes. Put the cubes in a bowl and add the garlic, ginger and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper and toss well to combine. Set aside for five minutes.

Warm a platter in the oven. Heat the oil in a small, deep saucepan, until it reaches 160°C. Put a little rice flour on a plate. Roll each fish cube in rice flour, dust well to remove the excess and, using a fork or a pair of tongs, dip the fish into the batter so that it is well coated. Gently lower the nuggets into the oil (five at a time is about right) and cook for a minute and a half to two minutes, or until puffy, crisp and golden. Fish the nuggets out of the oil in the order in which you put them in, using a slotted spoon, and drain well on kitchen paper. Place them in the warm oven while you fry the rest.

Serve piping hot with lemon wedges and a dip.

Serves 6-8 as a snack.

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