Food Friday- Fish and chips

This is one of three of my husband's "specialties" (aka, the only things he will ever cook.) You might see the other two creep up on an upcoming Foodie Friday post.

This recipe is delicious, it has the perfect breading, crisp but not crunchy. And this fish stays flaky and delicious, perfect with malt vinegar and tartar sauce! The "chips" we decided to oven roast instead of fry this time, because unless you have more than one deep fryer it will take a loooong time to fry enough fish and chips for a big family! The recipe is from Alton Brown, love him! (Find it here)

Ingredients
For the fries:

• 1 gallon safflower oil
• 4 large Russet potatoes
• Kosher salt

For the batter:

• 2 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Dash Old Bay Seasoning (Product of Maryland! Don't leave this out, it really makes the fish! It can be found in the fresh seafood section of a grocery store, look on the shelves near the cocktail sauces. It's in a yellow tin with a red top. Get it! Don't leave it out!)
• 1 bottle brown beer, cold (if you're not beer drinkers like us, you can substitute anything carbonated here)
• 1 1/2 pounds firm-fleshed whitefish (we used tilapia), cut into 1-ounce strips
• Cornstarch, for dredging

Directions

1. Heat oven to 200 degrees F.
2. Heat the safflower oil in a 5-quart Dutch oven over high heat until it reaches 320 degrees.
3. Using a V-slicer with a wide blade, slice the potatoes with the skin on. (I just sliced them by hand into fry shapes) Place in a large bowl with cold water.
4. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cayenne pepper, and Old Bay seasoning. Whisk in the beer until the batter is completely smooth and free of any lumps. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. Note: The batter can be made up to 1 hour ahead of time.
5. Drain potatoes thoroughly, removing any excess water. When oil reaches 320 degrees, submerge the potatoes in the oil. Working in small batches, fry for 2 to 3 minutes until they are pale and floppy. Remove from oil, drain, and cool to room temperature.
6. Increase the temperature of the oil to 375 degrees. Re-immerse fries and cook until crisp and golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove and drain on roasting rack. Season with kosher salt while hot and hold in the oven.
7. Allow oil to return to 350 degrees. Lightly dredge fish strips in cornstarch. Working in small batches, dip the fish into batter and immerse into hot oil. When the batter is set, turn the pieces of fish over and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Drain the fish on the roasting rack. Serve with malt vinegar.

 So good. Happy cooking!