Vegan Fish and Chips

Combine the torn nori sheets, cold water, rice vinegar, soy sauce, and 1 tsp fine sea salt in a large bowl to make the seaweed brine. Drain the banana blossom or jackfruit and gently press each piece flat to form rough fillet shapes approximately 10cm long.

Submerge the banana blossom or jackfruit pieces in the seaweed brine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to overnight.

Preheat the oven to 200°C fan. Toss the chips in 3 tbsp sunflower oil and a generous pinch of salt. Spread in a single layer on a large baking tray and roast for 35–40 minutes, turning once halfway through, until deep golden and crisp at the edges.

Pour the 1.5 litres of sunflower oil into a large, deep heavy-bottomed saucepan and heat over medium-high until it reaches 180°C on a kitchen thermometer.

While the oil heats, whisk together the plain flour, cornflour, baking powder, 1 tsp salt, smoked paprika, and onion powder in a large bowl. Add the ice-cold sparkling water all at once and whisk briefly until just combined — lumps are fine; do not overwork the batter.

Remove the banana blossom or jackfruit from the brine and pat thoroughly dry with kitchen paper. Dust each piece lightly in plain flour, wrap one nori rectangle tightly around each piece, then dust again in flour so the batter has something to grip.

Working in two batches, dip each nori-wrapped piece into the sparkling batter, let the excess drip off for a second, and carefully lower into the 180°C oil. Fry for 5–6 minutes, turning once with tongs, until the batter is deeply golden and sounds hollow when tapped.

Lift the fried pieces onto a wire rack set over a tray — never onto paper — to keep the crust from steaming soft. Sprinkle immediately with flaky sea salt.

Serve alongside the roast chips with malt vinegar and vegan tartare sauce.