Deep-fried mince pies are worth trying, really

I’m a mince pie addict. I find the combination of sweet, spiced mincemeat encased in buttery, slightly crumbly pastry pretty irresistible, especially with a festive glass of cream sherry on the side.

I’m also a professed proponent of deep-frying (a desire for shoestring fries prompted me to buy a deep-fat fryer earlier this year, and I’ve been turning out burnished batches of potatoes, churros and calamari ever since). But while I agree that mince pies are best served warm, you wouldn’t normally catch me reaching for the oil; in fact, a blast in the air fryer does the job very nicely, thank you (warmed through for about five minutes at 170C, and shop-bought ones can be left in their foil cases for this).

So it was with some horror that I read about the deep-fried mince pies being served at fish and chip shops across the UK. Bill Rai, who owns Oh My Cod in Spalding, Lincolnshire, offers the unusual seasonal item, as well as deep-fried pigs in blankets, alongside his traditional fare (unsurprisingly, it turns out an attempt at a “whole battered Christmas dinner” was a flop with customers). Poppies, in London’s Soho, is also rolling out crispy, battered pies between now and Christmas Day. What on earth possessed them?

I suspect many fryer owners have been tempted to dunk the weird and wonderful into hot oil (perhaps the very same people who experiment with booze, or even milk, in their Soda Stream). Deep-fried Mars bars and other confectionery have become, shockingly, a given in this genre of cooking. But I struggle to see how dipping my already perfect pies in batter and then deep-frying them is going to do anything to improve their sweet, spiced innards and moreish pastry. I’m reluctant to waste them, but to save you from wasting yours, here goes.

I make a simple egg-free batter while the deep fryer heats up, mixing together 50g each of self-raising flour and cornflour along with a pinch of salt. Once the oil is at temperature (190C), I whisk in 150ml or so of sparkling water and give each mince pie a brief dip, before frying them for about five minutes.

The result takes me wholly by surprise. The coating is rather pale and I add a few pinches of icing sugar to make them look more festive, but the texture is where the transformation really occurs. The batter is super-crispy, delivering a satisfying crunch as I take a bite, and the pastry has lost any hint of the powderiness that can be associated with shop-bought mince pies. The filling has altered too, becoming somehow jammier and altogether more delicious (a “pure delight”, according to one of Oh My Cod’s customers). My husband, meanwhile, declares this is the first mince pie he’s ever genuinely enjoyed. These chippies are onto something.

Such is their appeal that I’m now imagining all the other festive treats I can give the deep-fried treatment to. The ice-cream I’ll be making from all the leftover Christmas pudding is going to get a battering, and I’ll also be giving croquettes made from bread sauce and shredded gammon a go. Maybe even the brussels sprouts can be reinvigorated with a sesame-spiked crispy coating and a fiery dipping sauce.

But would I make deep-fried mince pies again? Getting the deep-fat fryer out is always a faff but a small saucepan would do for frying one or two pies. As a party piece – or even as a special treat for Santa with that glass of sherry – they’re most definitely a hit.

The Telegraph London