For excellent fried fish, use a beer batter for best flavor and dredge the fish in cornstarch before coating with batter for a crisp, flakey crust. We recommend a double-cooked method for the best and crispiest fresh-cut fries. Simply fry them once at a lower temperature until soft, then remove, drain and let cool to room temperature. Raise the temperature of the oil and fry again until crispy, approx. 3 min more. Delish!
Serves: 4
Difficulty: moderate
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Ingredients
Fries
2 c safflower oil
2 Russet potatoes, scrubbed, cut into thin fries
kosher salt to taste
pinch fresh ground black pepper
Fish
½ c cornstarch
1 c all-purpose flour
1 t baking powder
1 t salt
heavy pinch black pepper, or light pinch of curry powder or cayenne
12 oz very cold beer (lager or ale)
1½ lb firm white fish, such as cod or halibut, cut into 3 oz chunks
2 c safflower oil
Steps
For fries, heat oil to 320° in a heavy skillet or pot on medium high heat (oil will shimmer and a drop of water will sizzle when ready). Add potatoes and fry 2 min or until soft/limp. Remove from oil and drain well, cooling to room temp. Raise oil temp to 375° and fry potatoes until crispy, approx. 3 min. Remove fries and toss with salt and pinch of pepper. Set aside to keep warm.
Dredge fish pieces in cornstarch to coat well. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, pepper and beer. Immediately dip fish into batter, then carefully drop in hot oil (350°). Cook 3-4 min, turning a few times, until golden and fish flakes easily. Serve immediately.
