Beer Battered Fish 'N Chips: Britain's best culinary achievement

The Brits don't generally score many points for their cuisine, but they do get kudos for inventing fish 'n chips. Beer-battered cod with tartar sauce, French fries, and a crisp veggie salad hit the spot on a lazy Friday night. My husband enthusiastically went back for a second helping after devouring the first.  One look at this picture will explain why:

Ingredients

1 lb sturdy white fish such as true cod or halibut
1 cup beer
1 cup flour
3-4 medium yellow potatoes
canola oil
salt
fry thermometer

Directions

1.  Pour 8 oz. of beer into a bowl on the counter to let it warm slightly.  Enjoy the rest at the proper drinking temperature.  :)

2.  Peel the potatoes, slice into thin rounds, and then slice again into fries.

3.  Cut the cod into strips, no wider than 1 inch across.  Small pieces fry more quickly.

{Note:  if serving with a salad, vegetable, tartar sauce, or other cold side item, prepare it before moving to the next steps.}

4.  Pour about 2 inches of canola oil into a pot and heat it to 325 F degrees.

5.  Add sliced potatoes to the oil using a slotted spoon.  Fry for 6 minutes.  Remove to a plate covered with a paper towel to absorb excess oil.  (Note:  Fry in batches to avoid overcrowding.)

6.  Allow fries to cool on the plate.  They will look pale after this first fry, but should be cooked through.

7.  Slowly add flour to the beer, whisking to combine.  If desired, the batter can be lightly spiced with Old Bay, garlic, paprika, or salt.  (Personally, I rely on good beer for flavor.)

8.  Heat the oven to 200 F.

9.  Dredge the fish pieces in the batter.  Add a test piece to the hot oil (325 F) and fry until the batter looks golden.  Remove with tongs or a slotted spoon, cut it open, and check that the fish is cooked through.

10.  Add additional pieces of battered fish to the oil in batches, careful not to crowd too many at once or they will stick together.  When removed, blot off excess oil with a paper towel, and keep the cooked fish warm in the oven.

11.  When all fish pieces are cooked, use a slotted spoon to remove and discard any batter drippings left behind in the fry oil.

12.  Raise the oil temperature to 375 F.

13.  Add french fries back to the hot oil, frying for 1-2 minutes until they are golden-brown.  Remove to a plate with the slotted spoon, and blot off excess oil with a paper towel.  Lightly salt or spice the fries to taste.

I like to serve fish 'n chips with homemade tartar sauce.  I combine 4 tbsp mayo with 1 tbsp relish and 1 tsp lemon juice.  A raw veggie salad is a nice counterpoint to fried food.  To make the salad I show here, combine cucumber, carrot, purple onion, and dill weed with a splash of white wine vinegar and olive oil.  Malt vinegar is also a nice touch for the fish or fries.  Pair with your favorite microbrew or a dry white wine.

Enjoy!

Grilled Asian Salmon: a taste of the Pacific Northwest

Asian influences dominate in this savory grilled salmon.  Fresh ginger, sesame oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce, and garlic combine with the sweet smokiness of plank-grilled salmon, making this a classic example of Seattle-style Asian fusion cooking.  Masters of the grill rejoice -- this recipe is straightforward and produces a delicious, healthy meal.

Ingredients

1 lb salmon fillet (approximate)
1 cedar or alder plank for grilling

Note:  Add an additional plank for each additional pound of salmon, and scale up the marinade.

Marinade Ingredients

2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp vegetable, soybean, or canola oil
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp fresh ginger root, grated
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp fresh chives or green onion, coarsely chopped (optional)

Note:  You can still use this marinade to good effect even without the plank.  For regular grilling, slather some oil on the fish scales, and move the fillet every few minutes to help keep the scales from gluing themselves to the grill.  Alternately, bake in the oven at 350 degrees, until the fish flakes with a fork but is not dried out.

Directions

1. Soak the plank in water for 2-4 hours prior to grilling.  Do not skip this step - a dry plank will catch fire.

2. Combine marinade ingredients in a small bowl and stir.

3. Wash the salmon, pat dry, place on a dish, and pour the marinade over it. Tip: After adding the marinade, flip the fish fillet so the flesh sits in the liquid and the scales face up.

4. Allow the salmon to marinate for 30 minutes (up to one hour) on the counter. If you choose to marinate longer than one hour, cover and put it in the refrigerator, but remember to remove it 30 minutes prior to grilling. Fish at room temperature cooks more evenly than very cold fish.

5. Preheat the grill to medium heat. Add the plank and allow it to heat up until it just starts to smoke.

6. Add the fish to the plank, scales side down. Grill for approximately 20 minutes with the grill cover closed, monitoring to ensure the plank does not catch fire.  Tip:  If a flare up occurs, reduce the heat and use a spray bottle of water to extinguish the flames.

7.  Remove fish from the plank. Allow the plank to cool before removing it from the grill.

To serve the fish as I've shown here, cook 1 cup rice with two cups water, 2 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tsp sugar, and 1/2 tsp sesame oil, covered, stirring once or twice, until all the liquid has been absorbed.  Chop a few raw veggies (shown: cucumbers, carrots, and orange bell pepper).  Combine the veggies in a bowl with 1 tsp rice vinegar, a pinch of fresh ginger, and 1/2 tsp sesame oil, and stir well.  Spoon the cold veggies over the cooked rice, and sprinkle with sesame seeds.  Pair with a crisp, dry white wine such as chardonnay.

A beautiful presentation takes a good meal and makes it a great meal.  To present food in an appealing way, consider the flavors, colors, and textures of the primary food, and compliment them in the side dishes.  In this presentation, the orange peppers and carrots highlight the warm peach tones of the fish, while the cool green cucumbers serve as a contrast to the fish but a compliment to the chives on top.  Note the similarity between the marinade ingredients and those incorporated with the rice and vegetables.  The reuse of ginger, sesame oil, and rice wine vinegar in both places creates a subtle undertone for the entire meal, creating a consistent thread that ties everything together.

Enjoy!