I know, this is not an asian dish, but it's a good recipe, so I have to share it with you! This summer, we sent the kids to a kayaking/sailing/paddle board camp. At the camp, the instructors took the kids by kayak to Ivar's for some Fish and Chips for lunch. Since then, my son has been asking for Fish and Chips at home! My son was a picky eater when he was younger, and I'd get super excited whenever he liked a new food. So anything he asked to eat, I'd make sure to find the best recipe, and make it at his request! This has become a habit of mine since then. Whenever my kids want to eat something, I'd try to make it, instead of taking them to a restaurant.
Fish and Chips may be a super basic, easy dish for most people. Not me, not us, not in our family. Why? I grew up on an island (yes, Taiwan is an island, but I can't swim! LOL! Actually many of us can't!), and we are blessed with tons of fresh seafood. For example, right now, in the Fall season, we have at least 5-6 different kinds of crab to choose from. All alive and pinching, when you purchase. How amazing is that?! It's our belief that frying fresh seafood is a waste of the sacrifice of that seafood's life! We only fry not-so-fresh, in other words, "previously frozen" seafood. In our minds, if you have the option of fresh, why eat frozen? So...anyways.....frying seafood wasn't common when I was growing up.
Having said all that, my son requested it, so mom is on a mission to make him Fish and Chips at home! I ended up with Gordon Ramsay's beer batter recipe. It's really good...even I enjoyed eating it! Nice and crispy on the outside, juicy and flavorful on the inside. The kids not only loved it, but they also helped to make the batter! Another win-win for mom!
Ingredients
Serves 4
- Thick Cod Fillets x 4 (175g)
- Plain Flour x 120g
- Rice Flour x 100g
- Baking Powder x 1 tsp
- Soda Water x 130ml
- Lager/Beer x 170ml
- Sugar x 1 tsp
- Pinch of Salt
- Vegetable/Canola Oil for deep fry
How to make it
- Mix together both flours, baking powder and sugar.
- Add soda water, lager and salt.
- Mix together only until the batter binds together and is smooth. Be careful not to over-mix.
- Preheat oil to 180C (350F)
- Cover your fish with a dusting of plain flour, then drop into the batter and coat completely. Drip off the excess batter.
- Once fish is coated with batter, gently place into the deep fryer and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until golden and crispy.
- Remove fish from fryer and drain.
