Fish and Chips

Peel the potatoes and cut them into chips about 1.5 cm thick, and about 8 cm long, so they cook at the same rate. Put them in a bowl of cold water for 15 minutes, which washes off the surface starch that would otherwise make them stick together and brown too fast. Drain them and dry them very thoroughly on clean kitchen towels, because wet chips make the hot oil spit.

• floury potato1 kg

Pour the oil into a large, deep, heavy pot, no more than half full, and heat it to 150 °C, checking with a thermometer. Fry the chips in 2–3 batches for 6–8 minutes, until they are soft and pale, with no colour. Lift them out with a slotted spoon, drain them on a wire rack or kitchen paper and leave them to cool for at least 15 minutes. Keep the oil in the pot.

• floury potato1 kg
• frying oil2 L

In a bowl, mix 150 g of the flour with the baking powder and a generous pinch of salt. Pour in the cold beer and whisk briefly, just until the batter is smooth, like thin double cream. Leave it to rest for 10 minutes. A few small lumps are fine, and overmixing makes the batter heavy. Keep the batter cold, as cold batter in hot oil gives the crispest crust.

• wheat flour150 g
• baking powder1 tsp
• beer250 mL
• saltto taste

Heat the oil to 180 °C. Cut the cod into 4 portions and pat them dry. Sprinkle the remaining 50 g of flour on a plate and turn each piece in it, shaking off the excess, so the batter sticks. Dip the fish in the batter one piece at a time, let the excess drip off and lower it carefully into the oil, away from you. Fry for 6–8 minutes, turning once, until deep golden. Drain on a rack.

• cod600 g
• wheat flour50 g

Heat the oil to 190 °C. Fry the chips in 2 batches for 3–4 minutes, until they are golden brown and crisp. Lift them out, drain briefly on kitchen paper and sprinkle with salt at once, while they are hot. Serve straight away, with the fish, sprinkled with the vinegar and with lemon wedges for squeezing. Fish and chips do not wait: they soften within 10 minutes.

• floury potato1 kg
• vinegar4 tbsp
• lemon1