One day, about a million years ago, my mum came from our neighbour’s house, holding a small tupperware. “Skordalia” she says to me, her garlic-loving foody daughter. But not just any skordalia! This one had ground almonds in it and it was AMAZING! I have asked the kind neighbour for her recipe and she kindly shared it with me only I lost it (typical!). So I had to recreate it by memory.
Oh! and I almost forgot! This is a fish post…. And it’s a delicious, crunchy, foolproof, beer battered cod. But THAT scordalia, wins over!
Beer battered cod and “skordalia” (garlic dip)
Crunchy, golden, foolproof beer battered cod and the most amazing skordalia dip with ground almonds
Ingredients
- 800 grams Cod fillets
- Salt and pepper
- 50 grams cornflour
- 50 grams all-purpose flour
- Vegetable oil for deep frying
For the beer batter:
- 155 grams all-purpose flour
- 70 grams cornflour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp turmeric
- 330 ml beer must be cold
For the garlic dip:
- 100 grams blanched almonds
- 150 grams white bread soaked in water and squeezed out the excess
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
- 60 ml olive oil
- Water if needed
Instructions
- Defrost cod in the fridge over-night. Drain and dry on paper towels. Cut each fillet in half lengthwise.
- Heat plenty of vegetable oil in a large pot, for deep frying. Make the batter by combining ingredients in a large bowl.
- Season cod fillets with salt and pepper. Coat each piece, first with the flour/corn flour mixture and then dip in the batter. Immediately deep-fry each fillet in the oil, 2-3 minutes until golden and crunchy. Take out with slotted spoon on a paper lined plate. Serve at once with lemon wedges and the garlic dip.
“Skordalia” (garlic dip):
- Chop almonds in a foodprocessor until very finely chopped. Add drained bread, garlic, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper. Blend while pouring the olive oil through the flannel. Beat until mixture is creamy. If too thick add some water. Taste for seasoning and serve drizzled with olive oil.
