Eating in is the new eating out. If you’re in the mood for scrapping takeaway food and trying something new, switch your regular Friday or Saturday night fast-food feast for a homemade spread instead.
When you get that takeaway craving, you don’t always have to reach for the menu and the phone.
The best thing about homemade takeaway food is you know exactly what you’re putting in your dish, so there’ll be no fat-laden chips or salt-drenched chicken chow mein.
Homemade Classic Fish and Chips
Friday nights wouldn’t be the same without fish and chips. But rather than heading to your local chippy, consider cooking your own version.
In fact, you can rustle up this recipe in less than an hour – that’s much faster than driving to your local fish and chip shop and waiting around in the queue.
If you don’t fancy preparing and making the chips yourself, save yourself a bit of time and effort by plumping for McCain frying chips. They’re cooked in a pan or fryer but there’s zero prep involved!
Once the oil has heated, simply place the chips into the basket of your fryer and fry for a few minutes until they’re crisp and golden.
INGREDIENTS
- 1.5kg baking potatoes or McCain frying chips
- 200ml lager
- 4x175g skinless coley, cod or haddock
- 500g petit pois
- 3 tbsp crème fraîche
- 2 tbsp mint, roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp parsley, roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp capers in brine, drained rinsed, chopped
- juice and zest of 1 lemon, plus wedges
- 2 litres vegetable oil
- 100g plain flour, plus 2 tbsp extra
- 1⁄2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp cider vinegar
- knob of butter
METHOD
- Preheat your oven to 220°C. Peel the potatoes, slice into 1.5cm thick chips and dry with a tea towel to get rid of the starch.
- Place in a bowl, stir in four tablespoons of oil and sprinkle over a little salt and pepper. Arrange on a baking tray lined with baking parchment, and bake, turning regularly, until golden.
- While the chips are cooking, sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl and sprinkle over some salt.
- Slowly pour in the lager and vinegar and stir as fast as you can to remove any lumps – the consistency should resemble double cream and should coat the back of a spoon.
- Pat the fish fillets dry with kitchen paper.
- Tip the oil into a deep pan to a depth of 5cm. You’ll know the temperature is right when a bread cube becomes golden in 60 seconds.
- If cooking the McCain frying chips, heat the oil in the pan or fryer to around 175°C. Follow instructions on packet.
- Dip the fish in two tablespoons of flour, then batter.
- Immerse a fillet into the oil and cook for roughly 10 minutes, rotating with metal tongs. Once crisp and golden, drain on kitchen paper and keep warm.
- Pour the peas into a pan with three tablespoons of water and the butter. Place a lid over the top and simmer for a few minutes.
- Take off the heat and crush with a masher. Mix in the crème fraîche, herbs and capers. Garnish with lemon juice and zest before plating up with lemon wedges to squeeze over.
Homemade Takeaway Pizza
Who doesn’t love biting into the melty, gooey goodness of a pizza? The stringy cheese, the pepperoni… it’s just so good!
While it’s all too easy to pick up the phone and put your feet up as you wait for it to arrive, it’s great fun to whip up a pizza using your own bare hands – and a lot cheaper, too.
Have a go at making this easy pepperoni pizza – it’s been given a chilli and onion twist.
INGREDIENTS
- 300g strong white bread flour
- 1½ tsp easy bake or fast action dried yeast
- ½ tsp salt
- 180ml warm water
- ½ x 300g jar tomato and basil pizza topping
- 200g bag ready-grated Mozzarella and Cheddar cheese
- 1 tsp dried Italian mixed herbs
- 130g packet thinly sliced pepperoni sausage
- 2 green jalapeño peppers, drained and thinly sliced
- 1-2 thinly sliced onion rings
- 2 tsp olive oil
- fresh basil leaves, to garnish
METHOD
- Sieve the flour into a bowl and mix in the yeast and salt. Pour in the water and stir so the mixture becomes a soft dough.
- Flour a surface and knead the dough for a few minutes until smooth and elastic.
- Pop the dough in a greased bowl and place cling film over the top. Put to one side in a warm place for roughly one hour until the dough has doubled in size.
- Bash the risen dough so the air bubbles are knocked out and knead for a minute or so. Roll the dough out to a 25cm circle and arrange on a big baking sheet.
- Cover roughly with greased clingfilm and put to one side in a warm place until puffy.
- Preheat the oven to 220°C. Disperse the pizza topping over the base leaving a 1cm border. Garnish with the grated cheese and scatter over the dried herbs.
- Scatter the pepperoni slices on top and garnish with the jalapeño pepper and onion slices. Drizzle with the olive oil.
- Bake until the base is crisp, and the cheese is melted, golden and bubbling.
- Top with basil leaves and serve.
Homemade Chinese Takeaway
What’s not to love about Chinese food? It’s the ultimate treat at the weekend, whether you plump for crispy duck pancakes or sweet-and-sour pork.
But why not make your Chinese takeaway yourself? Not only is it less expensive, it’s a lot healthier – and you know exactly which ingredients you’re putting into your dish, too.
Check out this recipe for beef in black-bean sauce, which is ready in under 45 minutes. If you’re vegetarian, simply swap the beef for tofu.
INGREDIENTS
- 350g stir-fry beef or 350g tofu
- 160g sachet black-bean stir-fry sauce
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 level tbsp cornflour
- 2 tbsps groundnut oil
- 1 green pepper, deseeded and sliced
- 1 red chilli, deseeded and sliced
- 2.5cm piece of ginger, peeled and cut into thin strips
- coriander, for garnish
METHOD
- Combine the beef with the black bean and soy sauce as well as the cornflour. Put to one side and let marinate for roughly half an hour.
- Fry the beef in the oil for a minute or so, then tip in the pepper, chilli and ginger and fry for an additional few minutes, until the vegetables are just tender.
- Serve right away with a bowl of fluffy rice, and top with coriander.
Next time you fancy a takeaway, consider cooking your own from scratch. You can’t go wrong with making one of these delicious DIY takeaway recipes at home.