Traditional English Chips
Crispy on the outside, fluffy in the center, these thick-cut British chip shop style chips are the perfect side for homemade fish and chips (or just a snack!)
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients
- 3 pounds Russet potatoes about 4 large potatoes.
- 3 quarts canola oil for frying plus 1/4 additional cup
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 tsp Diamond kosher salt
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ½ - 2 pounds 1-inch-thick cod fillet or other thick white fish, such as hake or haddock cut into approximately 3-ounce pieces. (Thoroughly dry fish with paper towels)
- up to 3 cups beer 24 ounces, cold. (Any beer will work in this recipe, even nonalcoholic beer with the exception of dark stouts and ales.)
Instructions
2. Prep the potatoes
- Peel the potatoes and slice off the “top & tail” to square off the ends of the potato and discard. Cut each potatoes lengthwise into 1/2 inch fries. Add potato pieces into a water bath for about 30 minutes.
- Remove from water and pat dry with paper towel.
4. Fry the Potatoes
- In heavy-bottomed Dutch oven (about 7 quart capacity), heat TWO of the three quarts oil over medium heat to 350°F. Pro Tip: Use a Oil safe Probe to monitor and control temperature for perfect results. Add fries to hot oil and increase heat to high. Fry, stirring with mesh spider or slotted metal spoon, until potatoes turn light golden and just begin to brown at corners, 6 to 8 minutes.
- Transfer fries to paper towels to drain.
6. Re-fry the potatoes
- Add the previously fried potatoes back to the hot oil for about 2 minutes to crisp up. Remove to fresh paper towel or directly to a cooking rack. Immediately sprinkle with sea salt or kosher salt.
Serve hot
- Serve fish & chips with traditional malt vinegar
Notes
• You can keep fish hot and crispy in a 200° F. oven for about 10 minutes if you are cooking in batches.
• This recipes makes a large amount of batter. It can be reduced by half if you choose.
• I prefer to use separate pots of oil for the fish and the chips to avoid your chips tasting, well, like fish! But its totally a personal preference and influenced by the quantity you are making.