So yeah, been a while since my last post, hasn't it? Rather than hang my head in shame, I will carry on with business as usual. I ought to get one of those "Keep Calm" shirts... "Keep calm and cook something!" I wonder if that actually exists...?
Where was I? Ah, yes. Cooking and talking about it.
Anyway, guess what? I bought a deep fryer!
Now, I know what some of you are going to say... probably some variation of, "WTF?" I expect. No matter, though. Maybe some of you will think I'm crazy for acquiring such a device, but let me offer you this counterargument: I get to fry things now.
I've wanted one for a while, so I finally decided to bite the culinary bullet and pick one up. At first, I had buyer's remorse, I admit, but then I realized how many different dishes I could create with the bloody thing, so I got over it quick enough. And for my first foray into deep frying, I decided to go with a classic: Fish and Chips.
As per usual, you can follow along with my inspiration, here.
THE INGREDIENTS!!!
4 large baking potatoes
2 cups AP flour
1 tbs baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
a good few dashes Old Bay seasoning
~1.5 bottles Shiner Bock beer (or similar dark brown brew)
1-1.5 lbs white fish (I used frozen tilapia fillets, sliced in half)
cornstarch (for dredging)
THE METHOD!!!
To begin, cut your potatoes into vaguely french fry shaped strips by whatever method you choose. I just took my chef's knife and cut them in half lengthwise. Then I cut each half in half again, and cut each quarter into about four strips. Once you have your taters cut to size, soak them in cold water for at least 15 minutes to remove excess starch. When they're done soaking, they'll need to be dried as thoroughly as possible, either with towels or a salad spinner.
Meanwhile, make your batter. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, and Old Bay together in a bowl. Then add the beer. I started with one bottle of beer and found it wasn't enough, so I added more until it got a nice gooey-batter consistency. Imagine the consistency of cake batter, and you have it right. Once this is made, give it about a 10 minute rest in the fridge, just so that the flour can absorb all that delicious beer.
Ok, now begins the frying. Get your oil to about 325 degrees and your oven to about 200 degrees. All will be made clear. Working in batches, fry the potatoes for about 2-3 minutes or until pale and floppy. Remove from the oil, drain on paper towels, and set aside to cool to room temp. This is only the first frying; the second time in will get them crispy and GBD.
Raise the oil temp to 350 and get your fish ready. Dredge each piece lightly in cornstarch, being sure to remove any excess powder. Then, submerge the fish in your batter, coating evenly. Gently introduce the fish into the oil; don't just drop them in or they'll sink to the bottom of the pot and stick. Once the batter sets, flip them over with a metal instrument of your choice (I used a spatula, but you can use tongs, a fork, a flute, whatever's handy), and cook until GBD. This'll take about 2-3 minutes. Once they're done, drain them and set them on a pan in your warm oven while you finish the fries.
Raise the oil temp again, this time to 375. Working in batches again, fry your potatoes for 2-3 minutes or until GBD. Remove from the oil, drain, salt, and consume. Oh yeah, and get the fish outta the oven too. I like my fried fish with malt vinegar, personally.
THE AFTERMATH!!!
Ok, so this was a fairly simple method. But simple does not equate to easy, now does it? The challenge here was learning patience, and understanding that I couldn't do everything all at once. Next time, I need to use smaller potato slices (like cutting the ones I had in half) and work in smaller batches so that the fries crisp up a little better.
But, in the end, everything turned out pretty good. The outside of the fish was very crisp and savory, and the fish itself was perfectly cooked without being dry. I would perhaps consider using different fish the next time though, since I thought the tilapia was slightly too soft.
But perhaps I'm being overly critical of myself.
I know; me. Shocking, isn't it?
Anywho, thanks as always for reading! I hope you enjoyed reading about it as much as I enjoyed making it.
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