Batter

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I'm often asked if I have a method for producing a light, crisp batter that doesn't involve too many ingredients and a lot of work.

The first bit is easy. My favorite batter is made from just flour and ice cold water that I beat together to a consistency that will coat the back of a spoon. This beating - with a hand whisk -introduces hundreds of tiny air bubbles into the mix which, when heated in the cooking oil, rapidly expand, thinning out the coating and giving a crisp finish.

It's hard work for anyone whose arm muscles are not used to this sort of activity, so feel free to borrow my shortcut - use ice-cold soda water instead and work it into the flour using a wooden spoon.

TIP: make sure your cooking oil is smoking hot before adding food coated in batter. This will ensure that very little fat is absorbed during the cooking process.