It's the food fishery for a reason: A recipe for the ultimate homemade fish and chips

Whether you caught your quota in the summer food fishery or you're gearing up for thefall food fishery this week, you've likely got some flaky white cod that needs cooking and eating.

Let chef Mark McCrowe give you a hand with that.

Hisultimate fish and chips will transport you rightto Freshwater Road in St. John's, at the confluence of the scentswafting from Leo's and Ches's.

And of course, you'll be making your own chips. It's the only way to go.

Enjoy!

The Ultimate Fish and Chips

For McCrowe, the maker-or-breaker for any fee 'nchee recipe is the batter. It can't be too thick or too thin, and it definitely needs a good local beer.

Use cod with firm, white flesh that doesn't have a fishy smell. And of courseyou'll be making your own fries for this one. It's harvest season, so now's the time.

The full details and recipe are right after this how-to video.

The Ultimate Fish 'n Chips

6 years ago

Duration 2:47

Chef McCrowe shows you how to make the ultimate fish and chips.

1. Prep the fish

Here's what you need:

• 2 five-ounce portions of fresh cod
• Sea salt to season
• 1 cup of all-purpose flour

Need a primer on perfectly filleting a fresh cod? No problem.

How to fillet a cod

6 years ago

Duration 1:52

Chef Mark McCrowe shows you how to fillet fresh cod.

Once your cod is cut, the trickis to season the filletswith sea salt about a half hour before frying. That will help firm up the flesh, make the finished filletflakier, anddraw out excess moisture. With less water, there's less chance your batter will be soggy.

Once the salted codsitsfor 20 or 30 minutes, pat it dry with paper towel to soak up any remainingliquid. Then coat in the flour, shaking off any excess. This will help the batter stick while frying.

2. Make the batter

Here's what you need:

• 1 cup ofall-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp of baking powder
• 1.5bottles of your favourite local beer
• Pinch of sea salt
• Vegetable oil for frying

Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. Pour in the beer and whisk it all together. Lumps are perfectly okay, here. The batter should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Dip the fish in the batter and coat well.

3. Fry the fish

Bring on that sweet, sweet sizzle!In thepot of your deep fryer, heat your oil to around 350 degrees. Slowly place the battered fish inthe oil and fry for roughly fiveminutes on each side, or until both sides are golden brown. Beautiful.

4. Make the chips

Here's what you need:

• 3 russet potatoes, cut in 1.5-inch-long sticks
• More vegetable oil for more frying
• Sea salt to season

Put the cut fries in cold, running water and let it run until the water is clear and not murky. Then, strain the fries and pat them dry.

Heat the oil in the deep fryer to about 300 degrees. Plunge the fries into the oil and keep them there until bubbles start to form on the outer layer of each one and they can be easily cracked in half.

At this point, they're cooked, but they haven't taken on any colour. Take thefriesout of the oil and crank up the heat to 350 degrees. Then put them back in until they turn a crispy, golden brown.

Then take them out and sprinkle them generously with the sea salt.

5. Make the tartar sauce

Yes, you are going all out. Here's what you need:

• 1 cup of mayonnaise
• 1 kosher pickle, diced
• 2 ounces of choppedcaper berries, plus a tsp of their brine
• The juice of half a lemon
• 1 tbsp of Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp of chopped parsley

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, and stir well.

6. Serve it up

Lay out your fish and chips on a woodboard lined with newspaper. I like to serve mine with savoury dressing and a good homemade gravy. Save a wedge of lemon for the fish and make sure to have some malt vinegar for the fries.

Hello, gorgeous.

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