Fish and Chips

The Picky Apple doesn’t eat fish.  However, last year while on vacation in Kauai, Hawaii (where its all fish, all the time), when he was faced with the option of having a hamburger or chicken sandwich for the 100th time in a row, he manned up and tried some fish….and liked it.  Well, he didn’t hate it at least.  Fish probably wouldn’t be his first choice, but he seems willing enough to eat it now.  (But not shrimp, unfortunately….guess I’ll take what I can get).  Since I’ve endured 4 years of a fish-less marriage, I decided it was time that we have fish for dinner occasionally.  Tonight I attempted fish and chips for the first time, using a recipe from Jamie Oliver.  I used fresh haddock, and Shiner Bock for the beer batter.  It was delicious, and honestly, I was surprised with how great it turned out.  My only complaint was the smell of frying that permeated the entire house and our clothing.  The Picky Apple said it smelled like Long John Silver’s in our house, but he liked the fish (and chips!) and helped himself to more.

Our camera is on life support.  We’re waiting for the release of the Canon EOS Rebel XSi in mid-April to replace it, and I hate to go without, so apologies for the next few weeks of bad photos.

Fish and Chips

Recipe from Jamie Oliver via The Food Network

For the chips:
3 3/4 pints (2 liters) vegetable oil
2 pounds (950 grams) floury potatoes, like russets, peeled and cut into large chips
For the batter:
1 cup plain flour
1 cup beer
2 egg whites, whipped to soft peaks
Salt
4 (9 ounce/250 gram) fillets haddock or cod, skin on, and pin boned

Pour all the vegetable oil into a deep pan or deep fat fryer, and heat to 300 degrees F (160 degrees C.) Blanch the cut potatoes in the oil until soft, but not colored, about 4 minutes. Remove and drain.
Mix together the flour and the beer, then fold in the egg whites. Turn up the heat of the oil to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Dip the fish in the batter and fry for a few minutes with the chips until golden brown.
Drain on kitchen paper and serve with bread and butter, wally’s (battered, deep fried pickles served with ranch dressing), and pickled eggs.