Deep-fried monkfish and halibut with pea purée and parsley oil

Method

1. For the pea purée: heat the butter in a pan and gently fry the shallots for 1-2 minutes. Add the peas and warm through gently, then add the cream and mint leaves and cook for a further minute.

2. Transfer the mixture to a food processor and blend to a purée. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper and add a squeeze of lemon juice.

3. For the parsley oil: put the parsley and olive oil into a small food processor and blend to a purée. Pour the mixture into a sieve lined with muslin or a clean kitchen cloth and leave to drip into a bowl.

4. Put the egg yolks and flour into a bowl with a little salt and freshly ground black pepper and whisk together. Pour in the beer and whisk to make a smooth batter.

5. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form.

6. Beat half the whisked egg whites into the batter, then gently fold in the remaining half.

7. Heat the vegetable oil in a deep, heavy-based saucepan until a small cube of bread sizzles and turns golden-brown when dropped into it, or preheat a deep fat fryer to 190C.

8. Dip each piece of fish into the batter to coat thoroughly, shaking off any excess.

9. Carefully put the fish into the hot oil in batches and deep fry for 3-4 minutes, or until golden-brown and cooked through. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.

10. Once all the fish is cooked, drop several pieces at a time back into the oil for 30-45 seconds – this helps to make them really crisp. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.

11. To serve, spoon the pea purée onto 4 serving plates and top with some pea shoots. Place two fish fingers onto each plate and drizzle over the parsley oil.