Kibbeling with Ravigotte Sauce

Yield: 2 portions
Allergens: Dairy, seafood, gluten

About the Dish

My father’s side of the family is Dutch, and although I did not grow up in the Netherlands, we would visit yearly to meet family during the summer vacation period. During these visits (and also in my later years when I moved to The Hague), I would stop by the local fish shop to pick up some kibbeling. It is fried fish with a selection of sauces to choose from, often served with chips on the side.

As simple as it is to make, there was something so satisfying about a freshly fried piece of cod finished with a fish spice, used to season the fish after it's done being fried. This brings the flavour up a notch. Served with a selection of premade sauces to choose from, my favourite was always ravigotte, and so for this recipe, I’ve decided to do a homemade version of this sauce.

Ingredients

For the Cod and Batter:

• 300g cod filets
• 1 large egg
• 125g all-purpose flour
• 150ml Dutch pilsner beer (Heineken, Hertog Jan, Grolsch)
• Sunflower oil for deep frying (approx. 500ml)

For the Fish Spice:

• 1 tbsp paprika powder
• ½ tbsp garlic powder
• ½ tbsp onion powder
• ½ tsp dried thyme
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp dried parsley
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp cayenne (optional)

For the Sauce:

• 2 egg yolks
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• ¼ tsp salt
• 180ml sunflower oil
• 5ml apple cider vinegar
• Zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 2–3 small gherkins
• 1 tbsp capers
• 1 small shallot
• 2 stems of fresh parsley
• 2 stems of fresh dill
• 8–10 stems of fresh chives

Mise en Place

Start by making the fish spice. In a bowl, combine all of the ingredients and mix thoroughly. If the dried spices are too coarse to pass through a sieve, make sure to grind them in a spice mill.

Methods & Procedures

For the Ravigotte Sauce:

1. Finely chop the shallot, chives, tarragon, and parsley. Zest and juice the lemon.
2. Strain the capers from their liquid and mince them along with the gherkins.
3. Combine all the chopped ingredients into a bowl and reserve for later.
4. For the mayonnaise, separate the egg yolks from the whites; reserve the whites for future recipes.
5. Place the egg yolks in a stainless steel or glass mixing bowl and add the salt, along with the apple cider vinegar, mustard, and 1 tsp of lemon juice.
6. Using a whisk, mix all the ingredients together in the bowl and slowly whisk in the oil to form an emulsion.
7. Once the mayonnaise has formed, mix half of it into the bowl with the chopped ingredients.
8. Add salt and pepper to taste. Let the sauce sit for at least 30 minutes before serving so that the flavours have time to develop together.

For the Cod:

1. Start by patting the cod dry with some kitchen paper.
2. Cut the cod into smaller pieces, around 10cm long, and season with salt and pepper.
3. To make the batter, place the all-purpose flour into a large mixing bowl. Add a good pinch of salt to the flour and mix to form a well in the centre of the flour.
4. In a separate container, combine the egg and beer together and mix with a fork.
5. Using a whisk, pour the liquids into the flour and combine until smooth.
6. Heat up the fry oil in a medium-sized pot to 175°C. Make sure to use enough oil to be able to completely submerge the cod.
7. Dip the cod into the batter and then let the excess drip off. Place into the oil and fry for about 4–5 minutes. Remove and place on kitchen paper to drain the excess oil.
8. Sprinkle on the fish spice to coat the outside of the cod, and serve with the ravigotte sauce.

Variations

• Fish: Normally this dish is made with cod, but it can be made with other white fish as well.
• Remoulade and other sauces: Kibbeling often comes with the choice of sauces on the side. Ravigotte is my favourite, but most shops will also have the standard choice of remoulade sauce along with garlic, cocktail/whisky sauce, as well as an originally Dutch sauce called Joppiesaus, which involves mayonnaise and a mix of different spices.

AUTHOR - ARNOLD KUIPER

Co-founder of Snout & Seek. Born and raised in Sri Lanka, Arnold's passion for food stems from both his Dutch and Sri Lankan roots. A graduate of Le Cordon Bleu Ottawa, Arnold's career in the culinary industry has brought him from the Netherlands to Canada, where he now teaches at a cooking school.

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