Fish and Chips?

[attie]

All good answers for you to ponder ncage, I cook fish and chips for a living. Here's a photo of a tray of chips par-cooked, ready to finnish off.

I cut them 1" x 1/2" and lightly batter them first.
I think that it is up to the individual as to what sort of batter to use, I've given up on making my own so use a commercial one for convenience. Beer batter is popular, plain soda water, lots of different ways to do it and each person seems to make it a bit different. Flour is important, above 10% energy is good.
My cooking temp for battered fish is 190c and 180c for chips
By lightly battering the chips they will not shrink and hold at their origional size and shape thus making them much lighter inside.
For us we have no choice but to use Sebago potatoes which are fine, but, you much watch that sugar content, to much sugar and they will go very dark [the sugar burns] on the second cook before they are cooked through.
Enjoy your F&C's, great food

 

[ncage1974]

The fish and chips look great. How did they taste?

I think it tasted pretty good. I think its a good first attempt but i have more cod in my frig for tomorrow. I am going to try to use soda water. I think maybe the batter could have been a little lighter and i think soda water would acomplish that.

 

[lulu]

Cod is not the only fish for fish'n'chips. It should, arguably, be made with any flaky white fish, and, historically speaking, the cheapest good quality of those that is available. With cod stocks being low we are more and more being encouraged to revert to other old favourites. Plaice and haddock are very common alternatives and no less esteemed than cod.

Looks delicious though....but you did not have the peas or the pickled gerkin or onion! They are essential!

 

[YT2095]

Colley and Hake are also very inexpensive and just as nice as any other white flakey fish too

 

[Barb L.]

Looks yummy Ncage, love fish and chips --great job - Congrats. !

 

[Guts]

ncage1974 ​

I'm sure they taste as good as they look!​

I found this and I'm not sure if it will be any help?​

I make my fish and chips with cod, only because I catch my self. Halibut makes a nice battered fish also.​

HOW TO MAKE PERFECT FRENCH FRIES AND STRAW POTATOES​

 

[attie]

I think it tasted pretty good. I think its a good first attempt but i have more cod in my frig for tomorrow. I am going to try to use soda water. I think maybe the batter could have been a little lighter and i think soda water would acomplish that.

Sorry ncage, somehow I went straight past your photo, yep, looks great, and you are right, soda water will help. Notice how the chips shrink a little? the batter will stop that and they will stay more even in colour.

 

[Andy M.]

Actually, any carbonated beverage will give you a lighter batter. I think the AB recipre calls for beer.

 

[attie]

Cool post Guts

[There is an opinion among cooks that slightly old potatoes make the best textured fries. Look for slightly wrinkled skin, and slightly soft potatoes]

I tend to agree, maybe not quiet to the wrinkle stage though.

 

[ncage1974]

this is what ive been looking for....

As i promised i made fish and chips tonight again. This time i swaped out the beer with club soda. I was having trouble finding club soda at walmart. It wasn't in the soda section. I looked in the water section and they had carbonated water but i didn't know if it was the same thing. Thankfully the guy who stocks the section was there and i asked him. Well it was located by the hard liquor and thats why i couldn't find it. Anways i made the fish and chips almost identical to the night before but used club soda and this is the exactly the fish i have been looking for. It was light and crispy and the taste of the fish came through. I don't know what authentic fish and chips taste like since ive never been to the uk but boy was this good. With a little lemon, malt vinegar, and tarter sauce. I have to say i did modify the recipes i have seen. First i used a little less baking powder than most call for. They usually call for 1 tablespoon for 2 cups of flour which i think is to much. I used between 1-1.5 tsp. If they called for egg....i omited it. Also i made the batter much lighter than what was in the recipes. 1 part flour / 1 part liquid is to thick. I made the batter so it wasn't dripping all over the place but just thick enough to cling to the fish. Anyways you guys/gals know i always have a picture so here goes:

Ncage

 

[attie]

Exellent, I'll have the piece on the left ---- thank you very much