fish & chips - part 1 :
- cut salted cod cut into long thin pieces of 10 cm x 2 cm (about 3-4 pieces of 35-40 grams each, for a total of 125 grams per person)
- soak and de-salt cod pieces in 1,5 liters of cold water for 3 hours and repeat 3 times changing the water every 3 hours (reserve the water)
note : the soaking/de-salting times will vary according to the the size and thickness of the cod pieces and I use the de-salting water (diluted or not with cold water) to boil and flavour the potatoes ...
- peel and cut the potatoes into one large rectangle of 8 cm x 4 or 6 cm x 4 or 6 cm, then re-cut into strips about 8 cm x 2 cm x 2 cm (do not to keep the rounded bits and pieces) and place in cold water (until the cod de-salting water is ready)
note: there is much loss (about half) to cut the potatoes into big rectangular sticks, keep the extras for mashed potatoes … or if you prefer, cut into non-rectangular wedges and only use1,25 kg of potatoes …
- after 3 hours, change and reserve the salted cod water (to boil the potatoes) and repeat by adding 1,5 liters of cold water and let stand for another 3 hours and repeat again if necessary and let rest in a cool place
- in a large pot, add 3 liters of de-salting water (diluted with fresh water if too salty), with the potato sticks, the white vinegar and turn the heat up to maximum and wait until it boils and boil for about 12-15 minutes to partially cook and tenderize the potatoes
- remove the half-cooked potato sticks from the hot water, spread out on a rack to dry and cool (without rinsing and in the refrigerator if possible) for at least 30 minutes
- fill the deep-fryer with oil and heat to 170°C and fry the potato sticks for 3-4 minutes to brown them slightly, put on a rack and let cool in the refrigerator (if possible) for several hours before the 2nd final frying
tartziki-tzartare sauce :
- prepare the dipping sauce by placing the plain greek yogurt in a clean dish towel, allow to stand and then squeeze to lose 1/3 of its weight in water (300 g will become 200 g)
- wash and grate the cucumber (keep the skin), sprinkle a little salt, mix and let drain in a clean dish towel and wring/squeeze to lose 1/2 of its weight in water (150 g becomes 75 g)
- put drained pickles and capers, in a food processor and reduce to small pieces and put in a clean dish towel and wring/squeeze to lose half its weight in water (100 g becomes 50 g)
- chop the parsley and dill (by hand or in a food processor) and add the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, mustard, crushed garlic, salt and pepper and mix well until smoother (but not too much)
- mix everything together with the drained yogurt, adjust to your taste and store in refrigerator
fish & chips - part 2 :
- prepare the bowl with the cornstarch for the first drenching and the frying batter in a separate bowl by mixing together the dry ingredients (flour, cornstarch, salt, pepper, baking powder, baking soda)
- separate the egg yolk from the egg white and beat the egg white until stiff
- stir together the cold beer and vodka and egg yolk and add to the dry mixture and whisk by hand to incorporate
- remove the de-salted fish pieces from the water, let drain, pat-dry a bit and cover with cornstarch and shake off the excess, then place on a rack
- preheat the deep-fryer to 175°C-180°C
- gently fold the egg white into the frying batter
- dip the drenched pieces of cod in the frying batter, let excess slightly drip off and dip in the hot oil (one by one and every few seconds so they don’t sticking together) and fry 2-3 minutes until golden
note: you could keep the fried cod pieces warm in a preheated oven (150°C for 10-15 minutes or at 190°C for 2-3 minutes) ...
- preheat the deep fryer to 190°C and fry the pre-fried potato sticks for 2-3 minutes until golden brown and crispy
note: you could also keep the fries warm in a preheated oven ...
- serve 3-4 pieces of battered fish (about 200 grams per person) and 8 potato sticks (about 300 grams) with ¼ cup sauce (about 75 grams) and a lemon wedge and a small sprig of dill ...
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