Fish and Chips

This has been on our list of things to make for a good long time now. This is also, coincidentally, one of the 'must do' dishes before we leave the UK in a few weeks. I based this on a Jamie Oliver recipe, but really, it is so simple anyway... I'm sure most fish and chip recipes don't differ that much.

The fish was beautifully cooked and had a spectacular flavor. We were talking around the table about how tartare sauce or anything else would have masked the flavor of the fish. Nope, just a dash of malt vinegar and some salt and a squeeze of lemon was all it needed.

I did double-fry the fish and triple-cook the chips, which resulted in a superior product for both. The key is the temperature of the oil.

CHIPS
2 liters vegetable oil
950 g floury potatoes, like russets, peeled and cut into large chips

BATTER
1 cup self-raising flour
1 cup Leffe wheat beer
salt and pepper
4x250 g fillets haddock or cod, pin boned

Pour all the vegetable oil into a deep pan or deep fat fryer, and heat to 135C. Blanch the cut potatoes in simmering water for 10 minutes, then drain on kitchen paper. When dried off, plunge into the oil until starting to crisp, but not colored, about 4-6 minutes. Remove and drain. Rest the chips like this until the fish are fried.

Mix together the flour, beer, salt and pepper. Turn up the heat of the oil to 350F (180C). Dip the fish in the batter and fry for a few minutes. Remove and drain on kitchen paper. Re-dip the fish in the batter and fry again for 1-2 minutes, until nice and crispy. Remove and drain.

Turn the oil temp up to 190C and fry the chips off again for 2-3 minutes, until nice and crispy and golden brown. Turn out on kitchen paper and salt immediately. Serve with the fish.