MAKES: 4 servings TESTED BY: Linda B.

051 Fish and Chips

TASTING COMMENTS:

We tested this recipe with cod—it’s the classic fish-and-chips fish, and we like its meaty texture and buttery flavor—but you could use haddock, pollock, or halibut as well.—LB

start to finish 1 hour

Red wine vinegar is made from from red wine that is fermented until it turns sour. In the same way, nutty, toasty-tasting malt vinegar is made from ale or beer. A shake or two is a great counterpoint to the richness of the crisp, batter-fried fish.

1. Thaw fish, if frozen. Preheat oven to 300°F. Cut fish into 3×2-inch pieces. Rinse fish; pat dry with paper towels. Cover and chill until needed.

2. For chips, cut the potatoes lengthwise into ½-inch-wide wedges. Pat dry with paper towels. In a 3-qt. saucepan or deep-fat fryer heat 2 inches of vegetable oil to 325°F over medium heat. Fry potatoes, one-fourth at a time, 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer potatoes to paper towels to drain. Heat oil to 375°F over medium-high heat. Add potatoes, one-fourth at a time, and cook 2 to 3 minutes or until crisp and golden. Remove potatoes; drain on paper towels. Transfer chips to a wire rack set on a baking sheet. Keep warm in oven.

3. Meanwhile, place ½ cup of the flour in a shallow dish. For batter, in a medium bowl combine remaining ½ cup flour and the next five ingredients (through pepper). Whisk until smooth. Dip fish into the flour dish, turning to coat all sides; shake off excess flour. Dip fish into batter, turning to coat all sides.

4. Fry fish, two or three pieces at a time, in the hot (375°F) oil 4 to 6 minutes or until coating is golden brown and fish flakes easily, turning once. Remove fish and drain on paper towels. Transfer fish to a second baking sheet; keep warm in the oven while frying remaining fish. Sprinkle fish and chips with coarse salt. If desired, serve with Tartar Sauce, vinegar, or lemon wedges.

Per serving 552 cal., 29 g fat (4 g sat. fat), 101 mg chol., 449 mg sodium, 43 g carb., 4 g fiber, 1 g sugars, 27 g pro.

Tartar sauce In a small bowl stir together ¾ cup mayonnaise, ¼ cup sweet or dill pickle relish, 2 Tbsp. finely chopped onion, 1 Tbsp. snipped fresh dill weed or 1 tsp. dried dill weed, 1 tsp. lemon juice, and 2 tsp. capers (optional). Cover and chill at least 2 hours before serving. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 1 week.

Low-Fat Tartar Sauce Prepare as directed, except substitute ½ cup light mayonnaise and ¼ cup plain low-fat yogurt for the ¾ cup mayonnaise.

sweet or tart and tangy? A good tartar sauce is a rich and creamy concoction with bursts of salty, pungent, herbal flavors and crisp bits of pickle. Whether you use dill or sweet pickle relish is really up to your personal taste—both work equally well.

TESTING NOTES

1. After scrubbing the potatoes thoroughly with a vegetable brush, cut them in half lengthwise, then cut each half into ½-inch-wide wedges.

2. Pat the wedges dry with a paper towel. The dryer the potatoes are when they go in the hot oil, the less the oil will spatter.

3. There are two tricks to achieving fried-potato perfection. One is to fry the potatoes in small batches. The temperature of the oil plunges when the food is added. If the oil isn’t hot enough, the food comes out greasy and soggy. Adding too many potatoes at once lowers the oil temperature too quickly. The other trick is to fry twice—once at 325°F to cook the interior so it’s light and fluffy and a second time at 375°F so the exterior gets crisp and golden.

4. After the second fry, drain the potatoes on paper towels, then transfer to a wire rack set on a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven. Because the rack allows hot air to circulate under the potatoes, they’ll stay crisp while you fry the fish.

Fish and Chips