Beer Battered Fish and Chips
Thick cod fillets fry in a crisp beer batter alongside golden hand-cut chips, plated with a fresh salad and tangy tartar sauce.
A cold beer batter and hot oil are the two things this dish actually depends on, so both get real attention here. Frying the chips twice, once low and slow and again hot and fast, is what gives them a shatter-crisp exterior. Serve everything the moment it comes out of the fryer, with tartar sauce close by.
Ingredients
Method
Tap a number to mark a step doneHeat the vegetable oil to 325F in a large heavy pot or a countertop deep fryer set over medium heat.
Fry the potato chips in batches for 5 minutes each, just until pale and softened but not browned, then drain on paper towels.
Whisk 1 cup of the flour with the baking powder and 1 teaspoon of the kosher salt, then whisk in the cold beer until smooth.
Raise the oil temperature to 375F once all the chips have had their first fry and are draining well.
Pat the cod fillets dry, dredge in the remaining flour, then dip into the beer batter, letting the excess drip off.
Fry the fish in batches for 5 to 6 minutes, turning once, until deep golden brown and cooked through.
Drain the fried fish on paper towels and season it immediately with a little more kosher salt while hot.
Return the potatoes to the hot oil for 2 to 3 minutes until crisp and deeply golden, then drain and salt them.
Plate the crispy fish and chips together with the mixed greens, tartar sauce, and lemon wedges on the side.
Kitchen note
Keep the beer batter cold right up until you use it, since a chilled batter fries up noticeably crisper than one that has warmed to room temperature.
