dwitch@csdfx8a.arlut.utexas.edu (Leick Robinson) (11/02/90)
When I was a child, there was a restaurant in my home town that served
the most delightful fish and chips that I had ever tasted. Ever since
then, I have searched in vain for a restaurant or recipe that could
duplicate that taste.
Until now.
The following recipe is for the "world's best" fish and chips. The
originator is unknown.
You will need:
Enough vegetable oil to fill the bottom of your skillet, wok, or deep fryer to
a depth of about 1-1/2".
4-5 potatoes, cut lengthwise into 1/2" strips or wedges.
1 lb. fish fillets cut into 2 x 1-1/2" chunks (or you can do what I do and just
buy "catfish nuggets" at the store; they're cheaper and since you need
to cut them up anyway...)
2/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tbsp. white vinegar
2/3 cup water
Table seasonings; I recommend malt vinegar and lemon pepper.
Heat 1-1/2" oil to 375 degrees (getting the temperature exact is very
important; I use an electric wok with a temperature setting). Put in
potatoes a few at a time and keep them separated. Fry 'til golden (4-7
minutes). Drain on paper towels in a single layer on a cookie sheet.
Pat the fish dry. Mix flour, salt, baking soda, and vinegar. Stir in
water and beat until smooth. This should produce a smooth, velvety,
but rather thick batter. Dip fish into batter and let excess drip back
into bowl. Fry 4-5 pieces at a time, turning once until brown (about 3
minutes). Drain on paper towels. Set oven to broil. Broil potatoes
6" from heat 'til crisp, about 1-3 minutes (be careful; don't let them
burn).
Serve with whatever seasonings you like. I usually sprinkle on some
malt vinegar and lemon pepper. *Yummy*!
The secret to the success of this recipe seems to be in the batter. It
is a very good batter and I have found it to be generally useful as a
batter for coating pieces of meat for frying in a variety of dishes,
such as the coated pork or chicken chunks often found in certain types
of Chinese sweet and sour, etc. Experiment and enjoy!
I usually have no direct access to USENET, so comments should be
directed to: Leick D. Robinson dwitch@csdfx8a.arlut.utexas.edu