Now I've made some fish and chips before, but I have to say that the Red as Hell Ale gives the recipe a much deeper and fuller flavor. The hoppiness and the grains in the beer really bring out the flavor in the fish.
I used cod for this particular batch of fish and chips, because it's a great flaky white fish. It holds up to the frying temperature and stays firm throughout. The best fish I've ever fried is halibut, but considering that the price per pound of halibut can exceed that of a filet mignon, it's officially a sometimes food. Other good fish to fry include catfish and tilapia.
The batter follows the basic batter recipe we've used in other batter recipes, like our Orange Chicken recipe: 2 parts liquid, 2 parts starch and 1 part egg. In this case, we add just a little bit of baking powder as well. The leavening agents in the baking powder will cause the breading to expand just a little and form that great craggy exterior that's perfect to catch and hold onto the tartar sauce.
Beer Battered Fish and Chips - Made with Radio From Hell Red as Hell Ale
Fried Fish
Bottle of canola or vegetable oil
1-2 pounds fresh fish (halibut, cod, tilapia or catfish preferred)
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup Radio From Hell Red as Hell Ale
2 eggs
Pour the flour and baking powder into a bowl and whisk to combine. Add the beer and the eggs and whisk it again until it's well blended. Place it in the fridge and allow it to chill while the oil heats up.
Pour enough oil into a large saucepan or a wide sided saute pan to come 2-2 1/2 inches up the sides. (If you have a deep fryer, by all means use it) Begin heating the oil, but do not let it go over 350 degrees.
Slice the fish fillets into long thick strips and rinse with water. Once the oil has reached at least 330 degrees, using a set of tongs, dip a fillet into the batter and then directly lay it into the oil. Repeat, but do not add too many fillets to crowd the pan. Cook for 4-5 minutes or until the exterior is a deep golden brown. Remove the fish to a cooling rack with some paper towels beneath to collect any dripping oil. Continue until all of the fish is cooked.
To keep them warm, you can park them in a 200 electric oven for up to 30 minutes. Don't do this with a gas oven. The burning gas creates more humidity, so the fried outer shell will get soggy.
Now either you can cook the fries in another pan or in the same pan before or after you cook the fish. Either works great.
French Fries
Cooking Oil
1 to 1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes
Heat 2 inches deep of oil in a saucepan or a very high sided saute pan to 350 degrees. If you have a deep fryer, even better. Slice the potatoes into uniformed fries, preferably around 1/4-3/8 inch thick. You can use a potato slicer, mandolin (definitely the preferred method), food processor or a knife to carve up the potatoes, your choice. Immediately place them in a bowl of water to prevent them from oxidizing (developing that grungy looking brown sheen).
Once all the potatoes are cut, start cooking them in batches. Remove one to two large handfuls from the water and lay them across a tea towel or dish towel. Fold the towel over to remove as much moisture as you can, so they don't pop when they hit the hot oil . After they're dry, carefully add them to the oil to avoid splashback and any popping from water left on the fries. Let them cook for 4-5 minutes. Evacuate them to a cooling rack with paper towels beneath it to allow the excess oil to drain off.
If you have lots to cook and you want to keep them warm, move them to a cookie sheet and place it in a 200 degree oven until all the rest are cooked.
Place portions of fish and fries on each plate and garnish with tartar sauce and ketchup.
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