(Super Bowl) Sunday Dinner: Beer Battered Fish n’ Chips
Tonight we’re gathering around the dinner table… to the background sounds of Super Bowl XVLII. Or depending on our timing, Beyoncé.
In honour of this much-ballyhooed yearly right of passage, we decided our family dinner should be something fried. And include something with beer.
(Incidentally, it’s estimated that more than 325 million gallons of beer are consumed on Super Bowl Sunday (if you’re wondering that would fill 493 Olympic-sized swimming pools), to wash down a billion chicken wings. Coincidentally, it’s reported 7-Eleven sees a 20% increase in antacid sales the next Monday).
We do not need that kind of heart burn and gastrointestinal distress, so we’ve opted out of the wings, and instead picked Fish n’ Chips. What? Fish has omegas and is good for you.
Taking a shot on a dart board, we opted for Alton Brown’s recipe from Food Network. It seemed straight forward enough, and a cursory glance of the 146 reviews seemed positive.
We recommend getting prepped and ready, because when things start frying, you’ve gotta move fast, otherwise you risk cold and soggy fish and chips. Also, be patient enough to let your oil heat to a high enough temperature and don’t overcrowd the pot, otherwise your coasting will be more soft than crispy.
While we did use beer in the recipe, we are The Wine Sisters after all, and paired out dinner with wine.
Ingredients
French Fries:
- 4 litres safflower oil
- 4 large Russet potatoes
- Kosher salt
Fish:
- 2 cups flour
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- Dash Old Bay Seasoning
- 1 bottle brown beer, cold (we used Mill St. Organic – it’s what we had)
- 1 1/2 pounds firm-fleshed whitefish (we used cod), cut into 1-oz pieces
- Cornstarch, for dredging
Method
Prep your fish and fries. Rinse, pat dry, and portion your fish. Slice your potatoes into baby-finger sized slices (sorry if that painted a gross image), leaving the skin on and submerging in ice water to stop discolouration.
Prep your beer batter: 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.
Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees F.
Heat the oil to 320 degrees F in a large, 5-qt. Dutch oven.
Drain potatoes thoroughly. Working in small batches so as not to cool the oil, submerge (carefully) in oil for a few minutes until light golden and floppy. Remove from oil, drain and cool to room temp.
Increase oil temp to 375 degrees F. Cook fries a second time until golden and crispy, approx. 2-3 minutes. Drain on paper towels and season with salt. Keep in the oven to stay warm.
Now we’re onto the fish.
Cool the oil to about 350 degrees F.
First lightly dredge the fish in cornstarch.
Then dip the fish into the batter, letting the excess drip off.
Gently submerge fish into hot oil, flipping over after the batter has set, about 2 minutes or so. Continue cooking until golden brown.
Let fish drain on paper towels and add fish to oven to stay warm.
We served the fish and chips with coleslaw for a traditional fish fry experience.
Wine Pairing
For fried foods like fish and chips, we normally opt for something light and crisp and refreshing. A white with higher acidity will act like a squeeze of lemon would: cut through the richness of the grease. When served alongside earthy, creamy coleslaw, Sauvignon Blanc would make for a nice pairing, or even a mild Pinot Grigio from Italy’s Alto Adige.
As it so happens, we had neither of those things on hand, so we went with what we had, which is often how things shake down. No sweat, instead of going for contrast, we went for compliment, reaching for a judiciously oaked California chardonnay.
Scott Family Estate “Dijon Clone” Chardonnay, Monterey County, California 2011
$23.95 Vintages 99051
“Dijon Clone” refers to the type of vine used here-a clone of that found in Burgundy. This is aromatic with fresh pineapple and Meyer lemon, which follows through on the palate. Oak is definitely present but well integrated, a well balanced chard with great acidity to give it a fresh lift.