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Celeriac V_ish Fillets

Cape Town-based chef Jason “Jay Mac” McNamara’s vegan alternative to white fish is guaranteed to impress. Go traditional and serve this with chips, or opt for spicy potato wedges and a side salad. The celeriac fillets need time to marinate, so start your preparations in good time, or even the day before.

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Course appetiser, Main Course, Snack, starter

Servings 6 fillets

Ingredients

V’ISH FILLETS

600 grams celeriac root
3-4 tbsp olive oil
2-3 tbsp lemon juice
Sea salt
Ground black pepper

BRINE

2 nori sheets
1 tbsp sea salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 cup (250ml) warm water
1 tbsp olive oil
1/3 cup (80 ml) white vinegar
1 tsp sugar

BEER BATTER

1 cup (250 ml) flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp onion powder
½ tsp garlic powder
500 ml beer (lager or pilsener) or sparkling water

TARTARE SAUCE

½ ml (125 ml) vegan mayo
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
½ English cucumber, chopped into small cubes
1 punnet fresh dill, finely chopped
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
Salt and ground black pepper to taste

TO PREPARE THE FILLETS

1 cup (250 ml) flour
3-4 sheets sheets nori, cut in half
500 ml sunflower or canola oil for frying
Tartare sauce, for serving
Lemon wedges, for serving
Fresh dill, for serving

Instructions

Intro

Wash the celeriac root and peel with a vegetable peeler. Cut away the stalk to leave a flat surface, then with the bulb standing on the flat end, cut 6–8 wedges (to resemble fillets of fish).
Place the wedges on a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice. Season with salt and black pepper and use your hands to toss until well-coated.
Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C for 20 minutes, turning halfway. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before adding to the brine.

Brine

Tear the nori sheets into a blender with the salt and pepper and blend to a fine powder.
Combine the nori powder with warm water, olive oil, vinegar and sugar in a large, non-metallic dish.
Add the cooled celeriac wedges and marinate for at least 1 hour, or overnight, if possible.

Beer Batter

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl. Add the seasonings and whisk to combine.
Add the beer, about half a cup (125 ml) at a time, whisking between each addition, until you have a thick, smooth batter with no lumps.
Place in the fridge to chill. (The batter can be made a few hours ahead.)

Tartare Sauce

Combine the mayo, mustard, cucumber and chopped dill in a small bowl.
Add half the lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Check the seasoning and adjust as necessary.
Keep cool in the fridge until ready to serve.

To prepare the fillets

Place the flour in a shallow bowl and remove the batter from the fridge.
Remove the celeriac wedges from the brine and pat dry with paper towel. Wrap each wedge in nori until completely covered, cutting the nori to size if necessary. Squeeze gently to help the nori to stick to the celeriac.
Dip into the flour, coating all sides, then dip into the batter. Heat the oil in a large pan over high heat (± 180°C) until bubbles start to form. Using a slotted spoon, slide a few wedges at a time into the oil and fry for 3–5 minutes, turning to make sure all sides brown equally. Remove and place on a cooling rack set over paper towel to catch excess oil.
Repeat until all the wedges are cooked.
Serve with tartare sauce, lemon wedges and a crisp salad.

Video

Keywords Celeriac, Celeriac V_ish Fillets, Chef Jason McNamara, Chef Jay Mac, plant based chefs, plant based fish & chips, plant based fish recipes, PLANT BASED RECIPES, The Kind Kitchen, vegan beer batter, vegan chefs, vegan cookbook recipes, vegan fish & chips, vegan fish recipes, Vegan recipes, vegan tartare sauce, Veggielicious

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