Ingredients
- 2 pounds russet potatoes, scrubbed
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons fine salt, plus more as needed
- Two 12-ounce bottles beer, lager-style preferred
- 2 pounds center-cut cod fillet (scrod), trimmed and bones removed
- Vegetable oil for deep frying
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Malt vinegar
- Tartar sauce, recipe follows
Directions
Slice the potatoes about 1/16 of an inch thin with a vegetable slicer or mandolin. Transfer to a large bowl and soak in tepid water for 30 minutes.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and the 2 teaspoons salt. Pour in the beer and whisk to form a smooth batter. Set aside.
Pat the fish very dry. Cut the fish lengthwise into 1 by 3-inch strips.
Pour enough oil into a tall heavy-bottomed pot so it comes about a third of the way up the sides. Heat the oil over medium heat until a deep frying thermometer inserted in the oil registers 360 degrees F. While the oil heats, drain and spin the potatoes dry in a salad spinner. Spread them out on a pan and pat completely dry with paper towels.
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Working in small batches, fry the potatoes until golden brown, about 2 to 2 1/2 minutes. With a slotted spoon, carefully transfer the chips to a paper towel-lined pan to drain. Season with fine salt to taste. (Make sure to let the oil come back to 360 degrees before frying each batch.) Transfer the potatoes to the oven to keep warm.
Season the fish with the salt and pepper. Working in batches, dip the fish strips in the batter to coat evenly. Carefully add to the oil. Fry the fish, turning once, until golden and crisp, about 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined pan to drain. Keep the fish warm on a heatproof platter in the oven while you fry the remaining fish. (Just like with the potatoes, make sure the oil returns to temperature before adding more fish.)
Serve the fish with the chips and malt vinegar and/or tartar sauce.
Cook's Note: For a thicker and puffier crust on the fish, dredge the strips in flour, pat off the excess and then dip in the batter. Do not fry too many pieces of fish at once or the oil temperature will drop too low and the fish will be greasy.
- Tartar Sauce
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped capers
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped cornichons
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon finely chopped fresh tarragon
- 1/4 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
- 2 to 3 drops hot sauce
- 1 small scallion (white and green), minced
In a small mixing bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, capers, cornichons, parsley, lemon juice, tarragon, lemon zest, hot sauce, and scallion. Refrigerate for 30 minutes for the flavors to come together. Serve.
Yield: about 1 1/4 cups
Copyright 2001 Television Food Network, G.P. All rights reserved
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By crodny_7842262
Manchester, CT
on October 01, 2007
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tasted more batter than fish
By floodgal
on September 21, 2007
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My husband barely gives me a grunt when I try a new recipe. But when he tasted this one, he said dinner was "outstanding!". Try it and watch, you'll get your own "dinner was outstanding" too!
By howlizach_7992024
Red House, WV
on July 22, 2007
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Easy to follow instructions produced a great tasting meal. We don't deep fry very often and so the tips were helpful in producing crispy and not oily fish. Our son chowed down on the chips. We used quick frozen haddock filets -- just about like fresh and kicked up the batter with a little Essence.
Read all 7 reviews