There are few things more satisfying than the crunch of a golden beer battered hake goujon dipped in a zesty, creamy sauce. You can also use this batter for onion rings and other thinly sliced vegetables like courgettes and carrots.
Serves 4.
Ingredients:
800 g hake fillets, preferably boneless
vegetable oil, for frying (like canola)
1/2 cup flour, seasoned with salt & pepper
For the batter:
340 ml beer (lager, Weiss or even stout)
1 cup (125 g) self-raising flour
15 ml (1 tablespoon) curry powder
5 ml (1 teaspoon) ground turmeric
5 ml (1 teaspoon) ground coriander
5 ml (1 teaspoon) ground fennel or fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon salt
For the herbed yoghurt sauce:
1 cup (250 ml) double cream plain/Greek yoghurt
1/2 cup mayonnaise
a small bunch fresh herbs, about 20 g (mixture of coriander/dill/mint/parsley)
fresh lemon wedges, to serve
Method:
Slice the hake fillets into fingers of about 1 cm thick and set aside.
Pour about 3 cm deep oil into a medium size pot and place over medium-high heat on the stove top, while you make the batter (watch it carefully).
Place the seasoned flour in a wide bowl and set aside.
Make the batter: mix all the ingredients together with a hand whisk to a medium thick , lumpy batter (do not over-mix).
When the oil is hot (not smoking hot, but you’re looking for about 170 C, so test a small drop of batter to see if it bubbles and floats on the surface), dip the hake fingers in the flour, then into the batter to cover all over, and then directly into the hot oil. Fry on both sides until golden brown (about 2-3 minutes), then remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Serve hot with herbed yoghurt sauce and lemon wedges.
For the sauce: mix together the yoghurt, mayo and herbs and serve in small bowls on each plate.
About the wine, Signature Chardonnay:
Grape fruit, lime, yellow apple, banana, pear and hints of vanilla and butterscotch on the nose. The palate is creamy with layered fruit, pleasant acidity and good balance.
Also pairs well with pan-fried salmon in a lemon butter sauce.