Beer Battered Fish & Chips

Who doesn't love fish & chips? It's fish sticks for adults, best enjoyed with a cold beer. If you made the steak tartare from my last post, you should have some great homemade tartar sauce already in your fridge. Instead of regular french fries, the "chips" in this recipe are "pont neuf" potatoes, which are thick cut fries that are crispy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside. I serve them with some delicious homemade ketchup. 

Serves 4, start to finish 40 minutes

Ingredients:
800g  white fish - cod or haddock
  4-5   large potatoes
    1L  vegetable oil
     1   lemon cut in 8 wedges
200ml tartar sauce
200ml homemade ketchup

beer batter:
2 cups flour
2 egg whites
2 tbs  baking powder
350 ml beer
salt and pepper

1. Cut the edges off the potatoes to make the largest rectangles you can. Slice each potato into 2 or 3 thick slices, then cut each slice into 3 large fries.

2. Place the fries in a large pot of cold salted water and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook until a knife runs through them with little resistance. Transfer to a tray and let dry out before frying.

3. Whisk the egg whites until they hold soft peaks. Mix the flour & baking powder in a large mixing bowl, then stir in half the beer (175ml). Fold in the eggs whites. Gently stir in the remaining beer. Season with salt & pepper.

4. Heat oil to 350F in a deep fryer, or in a pot with a deep fry thermometer. Cut the fish into 8 100g pieces. Dredge the fish in flour, then transfer to the batter. Gently set the fish in the batter, keeping it towards the top, where all the bubbles are.

5. Add the fish one piece at a time to the hot oil. Let cook for about 5 minutes, turning occasionally until the crust is golden brown. Transfer the cooked fish to paper towels to absorb any excess oil. Don't overcrowd the oil. If using just 1L of oil in a shallow pot it is best to cook the pieces two at a time.
6. Add the boiled potatoes to the oil and fry until golden brown, about 2 minutes. If the fish has gotten cold during the cooking process, they can be reheated in the oil or on a baking tray in an oven that has been pre-heated to 400F.

To assemble:
1. Fill 4 ramekins or espresso cups with tartar sauce and place one on each plate.
2. Put 2 tbs of ketsup on each plate, then stack 6 pont neuf potatoes on the pool of ketsup.
3. Put 2 pieces of fish next to the stack of fries.
3. Garnish each plate with 2 wedges of fresh lemon.