Deep-fried snapper fillets with lively tomato salad

This is my take on traditional beer-battered fish, given extra zest by a citrusy tomato salad.

Deep-fried snapper fillets with lively tomato salad Credit: Kylie Kwong: Heart and Soul

• serves

  6

• prep

  30 minutes

• cook

  10 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

This is my take on traditional beer-battered fish, given extra zest by a citrusy tomato salad. The success of this recipe depends entirely on obtaining the freshest fish. Other suitable fish are King George whiting, flathead, gurnard, garfish and sand whiting.

Ingredients

• 6 x 100 g (3 ½ oz) snapper fillets
• ¼ cup plain (all-purpose) flour
• 2 cups vegetable oil for deep-frying

Beer batter

• ½ cup beer
• ½ cup plain (all-purpose) flour
• ½ cup ice

Tomato salad

• 2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp white peppercorns
• 1 small vine-ripened tomato, roughly chopped
• 1 small ox-heart (beef) tomato, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp lime juice
• 10 yellow pear tomatoes, halved
• 1 small green tomato, roughly sliced

Instructions

1. Combine batter ingredients in a bowl with a slotted spoon. (Using a spoon rather than a whisk keeps the batter thick and lumpy, and the lumps become crunchy when deep-fried). Leave the batter at room temperature until the ice has melted, then use immediately.
2. Meanwhile, make the tomato salad. Pound salt and peppercorns with a pestle and mortar until roughly ground. Add vine-ripened and ox-heart tomatoes and lightly crush. Pour in olive oil, lemon and lime juices and mix well. Stir in pear tomatoes and green tomato and transfer salad to a bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
3. Lightly toss fish fillets in flour, then dip in batter to coat completely, letting any excess drain off. Heat vegetable oil in a large frying pan until the surface seems to shimmer slightly, then add fish in batches and fry for about 3 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove fish from oil and drain on kitchen paper.
4. Arrange fish on a large platter and serve with tomato salad on the side.

 

Kylie Kwong: Heart and Soul premieres on Wednesday 21 November at 8.30pm. The series airs Wednesdays at 8.30pm on SBS Food (Channel 33). After they air, episodes will stream at SBS On Demand. 

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

This is my take on traditional beer-battered fish, given extra zest by a citrusy tomato salad. The success of this recipe depends entirely on obtaining the freshest fish. Other suitable fish are King George whiting, flathead, gurnard, garfish and sand whiting.