Bonjour,
After WWII, my grandparents moved to England. Because of that, at age 9, I began to spend my summers in England with them. Not only was I able to begin learning how to seriously cook with my Grand-mere who was then the chef for an exclusive girl's boarding school, but I also to learned how to drive a sports car, a British MGTC roadster with wire wheels and right hand drive. I think I ground a few gears at the time but my desire to drive the little car kept me going. It was pure fun! One of my favorite recipes that my Grand-mere taught me then was: British Fish & Chips. To this day I still love making this recipe on a Friday night.
Fish and Chips
2 pounds fresh Cod fillets (thick ones)
Sea salt
Ground black pepper
1 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
2 extra large eggs
Canola oil or vegetable oil
On a cutting board, cut the fillets in 1 1/2"x 3" pieces. Sprinkle them with salt and pepper.
In a bowl, mix flour, baking powder, lemon zest, 2 teaspoons salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper. Whisk in 1 cup of cold water then the eggs.
Pour 1/2 " of oil in large frying pan, heat it about 365 degrees. Dip each fillet in the batter, allow the excess to drip back into the bowl. Place them very carefully in the hot oil. Do not crowd the pieces.
Adjust the heat as needed to keep it between 365 to 400 degrees. Cook the fish on each side for 3 minutes or less (depending on the thickness of each fillet) until lightly browned and cooked through.
Remove them and put them on a plate lined with paper towel . Serve very hot with chips.
Oven Chips:
3 larges baking potatoes, keep the skin on
5 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon sea salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons freshly minced rosemary
Preheat oven 400 degrees. Wash the potatoes, dry them with paper towel, cut them in half lengthwise, then cut each half into thirds lengthwise (six wedges from each potato). Place them on a sheet pan with the olive oil, salt, pepper and rosemary, toss all ingredients together with clean hands, make sure they are all covered with oil. Spread them in a single layer with one side down.
Bake the fries for 35 minutes, turning them to the other side after 15 minutes. Bake them until golden, crips on the outside and tender inside.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper if you desire. Serve immediately with the fillets.
Serves: 4
© CaféDion 2010