Beer-battered fish is easier to make than you might think. Pair it with a remarkably easy – and lower fat – recipe for French fries, and you’ve got what seems like an elaborate meal without too much prep time or expense. The traditional second side dish for fish ‘n’ chips is cole slaw, but you could also round out the meal with an easily prepared bag of mixed veggies.
Recipe
You’ll need:
- 6 fresh or frozen fillets of cod, haddock, tilapia or the white fish of your choice, 4-6 ounces each.
- About 2 quarts cooking oil – vegetable will do, but peanut oil fries better and adds a great flavor
- 1 cup of all-purpose flour
- 1 beaten egg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 12 ounce bottle of beer
Heat 2 inches of oil in a 3-quart sauce pan or deep-fryer. Rinse thawed or fresh fish and pat it dry. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, pepper, garlic and paprika and stir your egg into the dry ingredients. Add beer to the mixture and stir well. Dip each piece of fish into the batter, coating it thoroughly – it should be thick, but you should be able to see the fish through it. Fry the fish for 4-6 minutes, 1-2 pieces at a time, turning once – it’s done when it turns a golden-brown (the fish should flake nicely if you test it with a fork). Drain the fillets on paper towels and keep them warm in the oven (about 300 degrees) while you fry the remaining fillets.
Easy-Peasy French Fries
You’ll need:
- Oil – peanut is my favorite, but olive is great, and regular vegetable oil will do just fine
- One large baking potato for each serving
- Any seasonings you like – Lawry’s Seasoned Salt is great, but so is plain salt and pepper. Garlic, rosemary, etc.
Cut your uncooked potato into fries – whatever thickness you like, with or without skin. Toss the fries in your oil, then season them however you like. Spread them out on a cookie sheet and bake in the oven at 450 degrees for probably 10-15 minutes, but start checking around 5 minutes. Take them out when they’re as golden or brown as you like them (I like ’em well done, a nice deep golden color).
It takes a little coordination to time the fries to finish just as the last fillets of fish are done, but if you can do it all at once, the total time from prep to served meal shouldn’t be more than 35-40 minutes.