← Nouns Cooking · British & Irish

Ingredients

• 1 kg floury potatoes (such as Maris Piper)
• 1.5 l vegetable or sunflower oil, for deep-frying
• 4 cod or haddock fillets (about 170 g each), skinless and boneless
• 200 g plain flour, plus 3 tbsp for dusting
• 2 tsp Baking powder
• ½ tsp salt, plus extra for the chips
• 300 ml very cold lager or pale ale
• 1 Lemon, cut into wedges
• malt vinegar (optional)

Method

1. Peel the potatoes, cut them into chips about 1.5 cm thick and rinse off the starch. Simmer in salted water for 4–5 min until the edges just soften, then drain and spread on a tray to steam dry for 10 min.
2. Pour the oil into a large, heavy pan no more than a third full and heat to 140°C (285°F), checking with a thermometer. Fry the chips in batches for 6–8 min until soft and pale but not coloured. Lift out onto kitchen paper.
3. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt with the cold beer until smooth and about as thick as double cream. Use it straight away while it is fizzy.
4. Heat the oil to 180°C (350°F) and heat the oven to 120°C (100°C fan) to keep things warm. Pat the fish dry, dust it in flour, then dip it in the batter and let the excess drip off.
5. Lower the fish into the oil away from you, two pieces at a time, and fry for 6–8 min until deep golden and the fish flakes easily. Drain on a rack and keep warm in the oven.
6. Raise the oil to 190°C (375°F) and fry the chips again for 3–4 min until crisp and golden. Drain, salt well and serve with the fish, lemon wedges and vinegar.

Tips

• Never leave hot oil unattended and keep a lid nearby; if it starts to smoke, turn the heat off.
• Classic sides: mushy peas (simmer frozen peas with butter and mint, then crush) and tartare sauce.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

RecipeTin Eats Jamie Oliver Olive Magazine Great British Chefs