Serves 4-6
1. Sift the flour into a bowl, or put it in a bowl and whisk it. Add 2 tbsp groundnut oil then gradually whisk in the beer, stopping when you have a batter with the consistency of thick emulsion paint. Beat it well to get rid of any lumps, season well, then leave it to rest for 30 minutes or so.
2. Heat a good 10cm depth of oil in a heavy-based pan until it reaches 160deg;c, or until a cube of white bread dropped in turns golden brown in 2-3 minutes.
3. Dip your chosen chunks of fish into the batter and lower them into the hot oil. Do this in batches, so as not to crowd the pan. Fry large pieces of fish for 4-5 minutes, and smaller items, such as squid rings, for 2 minutes or so, or until golden brown and crisp.
4. Scoop them out and transfer to a warm dish lined with kitchen paper. Keep them warm while you fry the remaining fish, then serve straight away with tartare sauce (see below).
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