LUDIVIC DIEUMEGARD

Tongue and Cheek a la British (Serves 4 people approx)

Ingredients
8 Cod Cheeks
8 Cod Tongues
(Your fishmonger should be able to supply both of these)
For the batter:
225g self-raising flour
300ml fridge-cold lager
For the crushed peas:
400g of peas (frozen is fine)
1 tsp chopped mint
Salt & Pepper for seasoning
For the wedges:
12 new potatoes (cut in 4 lengthways)
For the sauce:
1tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour
200ml of fish stock
1 carrot – 1mm diced
50ml of cream
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp chopped chive

Method
For the batter:
Mix the flour and lager with a whisk or similar until all the lumps have dissolved. Then place the tongues in it.
For the crushed peas:
Defrost the peas, crush them with a fork. Mix the mint in with them and season to taste. Set aside and keep warm.
For the wedges:
Par boil your wedges in water - bring to the boil and boil for at least 2 minutes then deep fry them. Set aside and keep warm.
For the sauce:
In a pan, place the butter and melt over a medium heat. Add the flour, stir well to bind. Then, add the fish stock (cubes are OK for this) and the diced carrot. Boil for 1 minute, add the cream. Boil for 1 more minute then add the lemon juice. Immediately, add the cheeks and take off the heat straight away – the heat of the sauce will start cooking your cheeks and will steam them. They need virtually no cooking.

To serve:
When you are ready, place the tongues dipped in batter in hot oil to deep fry (as you would do for any other fish and chips). Bring the cheeks back to the boil.
While your fish bits are cooking, place your wedges on one side of the plate, your crushed peas on the opposite side. Place the deep fried tongue on top of the peas, the cheeks on top of the wedges. Add the chive to the sauce and drizzle over the cheeks to serve.