Mikes Perfect British Fish n ChipsMikes Perfect British Fish n ChipsHaving been a keen fisherman for 40 years including a period when I was a commercial fisherman you may be surprised to hear I am not such a keen fish eater. However I am partial to well fried fish and chips from a good fish shop and over the years I have tried to reproduce fish shop style Cod and Chips without much success.
I am pleased to say that fairly recently I resolved the mystery as detailed below.
Firstly the fish. For perfection I would choose Cod but have had excellent results with Pollock and Ling. For me the search for the Cod would not be on the high street but would start on a fishing boat leaving Whitby bound for the clear waters in the middle of the North Sea, The Outer Silver Pit, Clay Deeps or The Southernmost Rough. The journey to these distant waters takes 10 to 16 hours so it will take longer to aquire than it would on a trip to the high street. The Cod are caught on rod and line and cleaned, filleted, skinned, boned and portioned then chilled or frozen within 1 hour of capture. This fish will be FRESH!.
Next the Potatoes. They must be organically grown. I have found Pentland Dell hard to beat for chips but if they are to be beaten it is by Edzell Blue.
Next the batter. It is this batter that has enabled me to make my own fish and chips at home that will beat anything bought from a fish and chip shop.
4oz plain flour
2 tbsp oil
6/7 fluid oz beer or lager
1 large egg white
weights and measures converstion chart
Sieve the flour into a bowl. Mix in the oil and beer/lager. Whisk the egg white until stiff and fold into the batter.
TO COOK.
Firstly fry the chips until nearly done and store. Depending on how many people you are catering for and the capacity of your pan/fryer you may need to do several lots of chips.
When you have sufficient chips nearly cooked and stored you can start frying your fish. Coat it in the batter and fry until nicely golden. Again fry in batches until you have sufficient and keep it warm under a grill or in the oven. Now Re-Fry your chips, again in batches.
This second frying of the chips is the secret to making perfect golden chips. It only takes a few seconds to Re-Fry them so all the meal can arrive at the table piping hot.
Serve with fresh garden peas and a selection of your favourite condiments.
ENJOY!!
Mike.