Fish and Chips - the British Tradition

Fish and Chips were a normal staple in my life while growing up in England.   We'd visit this little shop on High Street and pick up several orders, wrapped in newspaper which was fairly greasy.   Several hearty dashes of malt vinegar and we devoured our meal and then promptly washed our hands.

While at our local grocery store my husband spotted cod and asked the question... "can you make that too?"   "Of course I can" I said with a bit of a chuckle... and thought to myself what a great recipe post too!

Traditional Fish and Chips

Ingredients:

• 4 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut into the desired "chips" or fries
• peanut oil for frying EVERYTHING
• 6 - 8 pieces of fresh cod, rinsed and patted dry
• 1 bottle Newcastle Brown Ale
• 1/4 C club soda
• 2 C flour
• 1/2 C flour for dredging
• salt and pepper
• season all or crazy salt if desired for your chips
• Malt Vinegar
• newspaper is optional

Directions:   In a deep pot or fryer, bring the peanut oil to 375 degrees.   Fry the potatoes first, until golden brown and crisp on the outside and tender on the inside.   Drain well, dress with your favorite seasoning and place on a cookie sheet in a warmed oven (225 degrees to hold).

In a large bowl, mix flour, beer and soda together to form the batter.   Coat each piece of fish in the batter then dredge through flour and put into the hot oil.   Fry until golden brown, about 4 - 5 minutes depending on the thickness of the cod.   It's best to fry in batches and to allow the oil to come back up to 375 degrees after each batch.   Drain well on paper towels.   Plate your fish and "chips" and serve with your malt vinegar!   A nice cole slaw would be a great accompaniment.