Fish & Chips-- thanks to Old Bay Seasoning and Ann Burrell!

OK.  I cave in.  I'm bringing out the "non-diet" food!  I have enjoyed seeing all the beautiful salads and low-fat dishes. Good for you! Good for me!  If you're still going gangbusters with losing weight-- don't talk to me! Actually, I've played it safe.  I'm eating more veggies and fruit. But, I'm still going to indulge in a few of my weaknesses.  French fries is one of them. I love them. I always will. I have guilty pleasures when I eat fries-- lightly salted, please.

I am a big of fan of Food Network's Anne Burrell.  I record her show "Secrets of a Restaurant Chef".  She has taught me a lot of useful tips.  Every so often, I crave fish & chips.  I never owned a deep fryer, and I really don't do much deep frying-- which might be a good thing.

Until, I found three huge boxes waiting at my front door, in early December.  I had won a contest, and Old Bay Seasoning sent me a deep fryer, a seafood steamer and loads of products!  It was time for me to learn how to make fish & chips.  As luck would have it, I had just bought fresh cod. While Old Bay Seasoning sent me a few of their mixes, I wanted to make Anne Burrell's beer batter, from scratch. Fortunately, she recommends Old Bay Seasoning, so I got to work.  I decided to use the deep fryer to make the potatoes, and to use a 3 quart cast iron pot to fry the fish.  I also use peanut oil-- I just think it tastes better, though it's a little more expensive than vegetable oil

Mis en place is important here.  The deep frying goes fast, but you need to have a thermometer. It's crucial. My deep fryer claimed to regulate the temperature for me.  For my pot, I used a candy thermometer.  I used Russet potatoes, which I kept in a bowl of water, so they wouldn't turn brown.  The oil takes a bit of time to bring to 325F-- and this is not the time to do laundry!  Kids should be closely supervised to watch from a safe distance!

Anne Burrell says that the secret to good fries is to cook them twice!  The first time, we cook them until tender but they have no color-- about 4 minutes. I'm a pretty good multi-tasker, so while that was going on, I made the fish batter:

This was easy!  Flour, baking soda, a pinch of salt and Old Bay Seasoning.  Make a well, and pour a bottle of cold beer.  All I had was pilsner beer, which worked out quite well, actually.  The alcohol burns off, so I'd still say that this is kid-friendly. Otherwise, use club sode-- but the beer gives the batter an extra layer of flavor. Anne says to mix the batter until just combined.

The trick that Anne showed me was that when the oil is perfectly hot, dip the fish in the batter-- next, dip it only 1/3 of the way in (the batter puffs) and then drop it all the way in.  The fish stayed afloat perfectly!  Like a little kid, I was so happy!

Look at that!

I cooked these in batches, careful not to overload the pot-- and making sure that the oil stayed at 375F.  I let it drain over paper towels and kept these in a warm oven.  The fries are ready for the final dip in the jacuzzi...

This is just how I like them!  I blotted them on paper towels and seasoned them with sea salt.

These are not my best photos. For once, I was too impatient to fuss with lighting. I wanted to eat, now!

 NOT PICTURED:  A cold glass of beer. Cole Slaw. Malt Vinegar and a bowl of red cocktail sauce (my favorite).

The cleanup takes care. Of course, you want to let the oil cool.  I strained the oil, and labled one "FISH".  I have these in the refrigerator, for future use.  I read that the oil is good for 3-6 uses, depending on how dark it becomes.  Eventually, it can go rancid, but I'm sure I'll be deep frying more things.  I have tempura planned. I also want to make beignets.  Obviously, I won't make beignets in the oil I cooked with fish. D'oh!

You don't have to buy a deep fryer to make this.  As you see, I used both a pot of oil and the deep fryer. Both worked well. I simply had the luxury of making two things at once!  The recipes are a the bottom of this post, or you can view it on Food Network.  I will definitely make this batter again.  I'll post the cole slaw later on.  We loved this recipe, and it's a keeper! 

Thanks Old Bay Seasoning, for my wonderful prize.  If you don't have a can of their product, look for it at your grocery store.  It's great on so many things!  I am looking forwards to using the different batter mixes and seasoning blends they sent me.