Fish and Chips

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Deep heavy saucepan (at least 20cm) or deep-fat fryer
• •Kitchen thermometer
• •Slotted spoon or spider strainer
• •Wire rack or kitchen paper for draining

Instructions

1. 1

   Par-boil the chips

   Cut the potatoes into thick chips, roughly the width of your index finger. Not thin fries. Proper chips. Rinse them under cold running water until it runs clear, washing away the surface starch, then put them in a large pan of cold salted water. Bring to a gentle boil and cook for six or seven minutes, until the edges are tender but the centres still hold firm. A knife should meet slight resistance in the middle. Drain carefully, they'll be fragile, and spread them out on a clean tea towel or a wire rack to cool and dry. This step is what separates good chips from forgettable ones.

   Don't skip the rinsing. The starch on the surface is what makes chips stick together and go soggy. Cold water, a good rinse, and patience.
2. 2

   Make the tartare sauce

   While the chips cool, chop the capers and gherkins finely. Stir them into the mayonnaise with the parsley and the juice of half the lemon. Taste it. It should be sharp and punchy, with enough acid to cut through the richness of the batter. If it tastes polite, add more lemon. Set it aside. It improves as it sits, the flavours settling into each other.

3. 3

   Mix the batter

   Tip the self-raising flour, cornflour, and a generous pinch of salt into a large bowl. Pour in the cold lager and whisk until smooth. The batter should be the consistency of double cream: thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, thin enough to drip off in a steady ribbon. Don't overwork it. A few small lumps are fine and will sort themselves out. The lager must be cold. If you can chill the bowl too, so much the better. Cold batter, hot oil. That's the principle behind every crisp coating you've ever bitten into.

   Make the batter just before you need it. It loses its lift if it sits around. The bubbles in the beer are doing the work, and they won't wait.
4. 4

   First fry the chips

   Heat the oil in a deep, heavy pan or a deep-fat fryer to about 130C. If you don't have a thermometer, drop in a single chip: if it sinks gently and bubbles appear lazily around the edges, you're there. Fry the chips in two batches for five or six minutes. They should be cooked through and pale, barely coloured at all. Lift them out with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. They'll look unfinished. That's right. They'll have their moment.

5. 5

   Warm the mushy peas

   Tip the marrowfat peas into a small saucepan with their liquid. Warm them gently over a low heat, stirring now and then. When they're hot through, drain off most of the liquid, leaving just enough to keep them loose and spoonable. Stir in the butter and a squeeze of lemon. Season with salt. Crush a few against the side of the pan with the back of a wooden spoon if you like, but they don't need much help. Keep them warm with a lid on while you fry the fish.

6. 6

   Fry the fish

   Bring the oil up to 180C. This matters. Too cool and the batter soaks up oil and goes heavy. Too hot and it scorches before the fish cooks through. Pat the fillets dry with kitchen paper, then dust them in a light coating of flour, shaking off the excess. This gives the batter something to cling to. Dip each fillet into the batter, let the excess drip off for a moment, then lower it carefully into the hot oil, laying it away from you. Fry two fillets at a time, no more, or the oil temperature drops and everything suffers. Seven or eight minutes, turning once, until the batter is a deep, uneven gold and the fish inside is just cooked: firm when pressed gently, flaking at the thickest point. Lift out and drain on kitchen paper.

   Lower the fish in gently, holding the tail end for a second or two before letting go. This stops the batter from pooling and sticking to the bottom of the pan.
7. 7

   Second fry the chips

   While the fish rests for a moment on the paper, bring the oil back to 180C and return the chips to the pan in batches. Two or three minutes this time, until they're golden and properly crisp, the colour of a good sunset. You'll hear the sound change: the bubbling quietens as the moisture leaves the surface. Drain on fresh kitchen paper and season immediately with fine sea salt while they're still hot and glistening. Don't wait. Salt sticks to hot chips. It slides off cold ones.

8. 8

   Serve everything together

   Put it all on warm plates. The fish, golden and crackling. A pile of chips. A generous spoonful of mushy peas. The tartare sauce on the side, or in a small bowl for the table. Cut the remaining lemon half into wedges and tuck one alongside. Put the malt vinegar on the table for those who want it. This is Friday evening. There are few better feelings than putting a warm plate of fish and chips in front of someone and watching them reach for the vinegar before you've even sat down.

Chef Tips

• •Go to the fishmonger. I know it's easier to pick up a packet from the supermarket, but a fishmonger will sell you thicker, fresher fillets and tell you what's best that day. Haddock has a slightly sweeter flavour than cod and holds together beautifully in batter. Either works. Ask what's freshest and trust them.
• •A kitchen thermometer takes the guesswork out of the oil temperature. If you don't have one, use the chip test: a chip dropped into 130C oil will sink and bubble gently. At 180C, it will bob and fizz immediately. The difference between these two temperatures is the difference between soggy and crisp.
• •Season the chips the moment they come out of the oil. Salt needs heat and moisture to stick. A chip that's been sitting for two minutes on kitchen paper won't hold the salt the same way. Do it while they're still glistening.
• •Malt vinegar, not balsamic, not wine vinegar, not lemon alone. Malt vinegar on hot chips is non-negotiable. It's sharp, slightly sweet, and it smells like every good Friday evening you've ever had.

Advance Preparation

• •The tartare sauce can be made a day ahead and kept covered in the fridge. It improves overnight as the flavours settle.
• •The chips can be par-boiled and given their first fry up to four hours ahead. Spread them on a tray and leave at room temperature until you're ready for the final fry.
• •The batter must be made fresh, just before frying. It relies on the carbonation in the beer for its lift, and that won't wait.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 600g)