Fish and chips is a hearty meal, famous for being classic British fare. My recipe uses fried salmon as the fish of choice - it makes a great weeknight meal!
flavorless oil for frying like canola, vegetable, or sunflower seed
3 Russet potatoeslarge, peeled
The Fish
1cupall-purpose flour
1cupice water
1 ½lbs.salmonCut into 8-pieces (2-pieces per person) OR opah, cod, or tilapia
sea saltto taste
Instructions
The Chips
Add enough oil to your pan so it is 3 inches deep. I use a smaller pot and fry in batches. Heat to about 275F. You can use a candy thermometer or infared thermometer.
Chop the potatoes so they are all the same size, preferably in wedges that are about 1/2 to 3/4" thick.
Fry the potatoes for about 10 minutes. You want them to be soft, but not yet browned. Drain on a wire rack, paper bag, or paper towel.
Transfer the fries to the freezer for 30 minutes if serving immediately, or the refrigerator overnight if cooking the fish the next day.
To finish cooking, make sure you still have enough oil in your pan so it is 3 inches deep. Heat to about 350-375F. Fry for 5 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Season with salt as they drain on a wire rack, on a paper bag or on paper towels.
The Fish
Make sure you still have enough oil in your pan so it is 3 inches deep. Heat to about 350-375F.
You can remove the skin of the salmon or not. It is up to you and your preference. I presonally leave it on.* Season the fish with salt or seasoned salt.
Make the batter: Make sure the water is actually ice water to ensure crispiness after frying. Simply mix 1 cup of ice water with 1 cup of pastry flour or all-purpose flour with a fork or chopsticks. Do not overmix.
In small batches (I do 2-pieces at a time), dip the fish slices in the batter and immerse into the hot oil. Cook for 1-2 minutes per side until the batter is a light golden brown.
Place them onto a wire rack, or a plate lined with a paper bag or paper towel to absorb the excess oil.
Remove floating batter and continue until the whole batch is cooked.
Serve with tartar sauce, ranch, ketchup, or malt vinegar.
Notes
* If you prefer a skinless salmon, either ask your fishmonger to skin the salmon for you or you can skin a salmon filet yourself using this method from Fine Cooking.You can fry the french fries the day before and keep them in the refrigerator until you are ready to use them instead of putting them in the freezer.Use ice water for the batter or it will not properly crisp up.Do not overmix the batter to ensure airiness.Use the batter immediately or it will not crisp up properly.If you have leftover batter, make sure you make these deep fried apples in cinnamon sugar. Such a treat and great to make if you are already frying up dinner.Recipe for the chips adapted from Food Network recipe by Alton Brown.