Fish & Chips

FISH
Ingredients:
1 to 1 1/2 lb cod fillets
1 cup flour
1 cup beer
2 egg whites, whipped to soft peaks
1/2 teaspoon hot paprika
cornstarch
salt
pepper

to serve:
malt vinegar
tarter sauce

Directions
Pour about 3 inches of canola oil into a heavy pan. Heat to 350.

In a shallow bowl or plate, sprinkle the cornstarch. Dredge each filet. Set aside.
Mix together the flour, salt, paprika, pepper and the beer, then fold in the egg whites. Dip the fish in the batter. Fry until golden brown.

Note: If you have leftovers, they reheat suprisingly well. They won't be quite as good as they were fresh but you can heat them up and keep them crispy by baking them for about 10 minutes at 400.



CHIPS


Ingredients:
2 lb Russet potatoes cut into long, thin strips
sea salt
olive oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the potatoes and boil until just barely tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and pat dry. Brush with oil and place on a parchment or silipat lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, then toss and bake an additional 10 minutes or until crisp.

Note: This is roughly the same technique I use when making grilled potato wedges, just adapted for the oven. Again, parboiling insures soft centers while the baking gives them crispy edges.

My thoughts:

Sometimes nothing but fish and chips will do. Unfortunately there isn't a chip shop for miles. However, it is surprisingly easy make at home and the results were fantastic. I was especially pleased with how flavorful and light the batter for the fish turned out. I've always had some issues making the perfect fluffy batter but I think I finally got it right. The fries were great as well, crisp and potato-y. Traditionally the fries would, of course, be fried but I find that the baked ones are quite tasty. It is easier to bake the chips while you fry the fish than to juggle frying two things at once, both of which need to be served hot.