IN this week’s column, Suzanne Mulholland shares her favourite fakeaway recipe – home-made fish and chips.

She says: “With money tighter than ever for many of us, a fakeaway is a great alternative to the usual takeaway.

“Fish and chips is my favourite but can cost around £28 for a family of four.

"It is much cheaper to cook it at home for just £9.50. That’s three Friday nights for the price of one takeaway.

"In this recipe I’ve used pollock, which is cheaper than cod and tastes more or less the same.

“I’ve also included a healthier alternative to chip-shop chips, plus there are mushy peas for the whole ‘fish supper’ experience.”

Home-made battered fish

Serves four

You need:

• 300g plain flour
• 3 tspn baking powder
• 1 tspn salt
• 410ml cold water
• 4 fillets white fish (coley, pollock, cod or haddock)
• 500ml vegetable oil

Method:

1. In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the water and whisk to a smooth batter.
2. Dry your fish using kitchen roll. Heat the oil in a saucepan. To check it is hot enough, pour in 1 tspn of batter. If it rises and turns golden, the oil is ready.
3. Dip the fish into the batter to cover, then carefully place in the oil. Cook in two batches for three to five minutes.
4. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and place on kitchen roll on a baking tray.
5. If eating straight away, cover with foil until you have cooked the other two fillets.
6. If you want to freeze, leave to cool completely before covering both baking trays and freezing for two hours. Then transfer the fish into a reusable freezer bag.
7. When you want to eat it, remove from the freezer and cook in the oven at 190C for 25 minutes, until piping hot.

Home-made skin-on 'chip shop' chips

You need:

• 6 large potatoes
• 1 tbsp flour
• 4 tbsp vegetable oil
• Salt

Method:

1. Wash and chop the potatoes into chunky chip shapes and add to a saucepan of water. Bring the water to boiling, then boil for three minutes before draining.
2. Place the drained chips back in the saucepan and return to the heat for a minute to dry out so they go nicely crispy.
3. Remove the pan from the heat, add the flour and mix before adding the oil and salt. Tip on to a baking tray in one layer then cook the chips in the oven at 200C for 30 minutes, season and serve.
4. If freezing, leave the parboiled potatoes to cool on a baking tray, before covering the baking tray and freezing for two hours. Transfer into a reusable freezer bag.
5. When you want to eat them, cook in the oven for 40 minutes at 200C.

Easy Mushy Peas

You need:

• 225g frozen peas
• 1 tspn butter
• 1 tbsp creme fraiche
• Juice of half a lemon
• Salt and pepper

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Method:

1. Place the peas in a saucepan and cover with boiling water. Cook for three minutes, then drain. Put the peas in a blender or bowl.
2. Add the butter, creme fraiche and lemon juice, then season with salt and pepper. Blend, adding a little water if the mix is too thick. Pour into a bowl and serve.
3. If freezing, leave the mushy peas to cool before pouring into a labelled reusable freezer bag and store flat.
4. Leave the peas to defrost before eating cold or warmed.

• The Batch Lady: Shop Once, Cook Once, Eat Well All Week (HQ, £20) is out now. The Batch Lady Meal Planner, £9.99, is published on Thursday. And you can watch Suzanne cook at thesun.co.uk/batchlady.

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