Beer-Battered Fish and Chips with Garlic Mayonnaise
We’ve all had fish and chips, but there are little things you can do to elevate this fried favorite. With this meal I made a yeasted beer batter for the fish, double-fried the chips, and created a dipping mayo made from oil that I infused with garlic.
For the fish:
1 c beer (I used a pilsner from our fine friends at Metropolitan Brewing Co.)
1 c all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon dried yeast
vegetable oil for frying
4 fish fillets (I used tilapia for the photo, but I find that cod is always a great and reliable option)
sea salt
Combine beer, flour, and yeast in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Set aside and leave at room temp for 15 min.
Pour enough oil in a cast-iron skillet so that it’s about 2-3 inches deep (depending on how thick your fish is). Heat oil until it reaches 350 F.
Dust the fish in flour and then dip into batter. Fry the fillets in the oil until crispy, browned, and floating (~4-8 min). Let rest on metal cooling rack and dust with sea salt.
For the chips:
6 Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into finger-sized lengths
vegetable oil for frying
sea salt
Pour enough oil in a cast-iron skillet so that it’s about 2-3 inches deep. Heat oil until it reaches 275 F.
Lower the potatoes into the oil with a slotted spoon, in batches if needed, until soft (~10 min). It’s ok if they’re still pale. Remove and drain on paper towels. Allow oil to return to temperature between batches.
After all chips are fried, increase the temperature to 340 F.
Return the chips to the oil and fry again, in batches if necessary, until brown and crispy (~4-5 min per batch). Let drain on paper towels again and dust with sea salt.
For the wild garlic mayonnaise:
1 c canola oil
6 garlic cloves
2 egg yolks
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
sea salt
Heat oil and garlic in a heavy-bottomed pot until boiling. Turn the heat to low and let cook until the garlic is lightly browned (~5 minutes). Turn off the heat and set aside.
Put the egg yolks into a medium mixing bowl with the vinegar. With an immersion blender, slowly begin adding the garlic-infused oil. Don’t add too fast; only add gradually when the previous oil was incorporated. Finish with a tablespoon of water and blend until mayonnaise reaches desired thickness. Season with salt to taste.
*Serves 4