For the scampi
1. To prepare the langoustines, pull off the head and pincers.
Lay the tail flat on a chopping board and use a sharp pair of scissors to cut a line straight down the back of the shell.
Carefully peel the langoustine, score down the back, then remove the grit sac.
2. Get the oil heating in a large saucepan or wok – you will need enough to come 2-3in up the side of the pan.
For the tartare sauce, mix all ingredients in a bowl and season.
3. Place the flours in a bowl with a good pinch of salt and pepper.
Add the beer and sparkling water, and whisk to a smooth batter.
4. To test if the oil is hot enough, put a drop of batter into the pan – it should crisp and brown within 30 secs.
Dip each langoustine or prawn tail into the batter, then carefully drop it into the oil.
Drizzle a little extra batter over each one while they are cooking – this will give you a really crispy coating.
Cook them in batches, making sure you don’t overcrowd the pan. When golden and floating to the surface, scoop out and drain well on kitchen paper.
Sprinkle the scampi with salt and serve with the tartare sauce, lemon wedges.
For the chips:
1. Peel the potatoes and cut lengthways into roughly 1cm/½in slices. Cut each slice into fairly thick chips and rinse in a colander under plenty of cold water to remove excess starch.
(If you have time, it's worth letting the chips soak in a bowl of cold water for several hours, or overnight.) Pat dry with kitchen paper.
2. Heat a deep, heavy-bottomed saucepan half-full of the sunflower oil to 130C. Alternatively, use an electric deep-fat fryer heated to 130C.
3. Using a large, metal, slotted spoon, gently lower half the chips into the hot oil and stir carefully. Fry for ten minutes, or until cooked through but not browned.
4. Remove the chips from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside to drain on plenty of kitchen paper.
Repeat the process with the remaining chips. (The chips can be left for several hours at this stage.)
5. When ready to serve, reheat the oil to 190C. With a slotted spoon, lower all the par-cooked chips gently into the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until crisp and golden-brown.
Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.
6. Tip into a serving dish and sprinkle with salt and vinegar to serve.
• To try the Colin's own, why not check out Cromars fish and chip shop in St Andrews
Picture: Cromars
