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Fish and Chips
So farewell then - with a true British classic!
This week I am saying farewell to the shores of the Mediterranean, and bringing the column back to England. But in doing so I am also preparing for a far more difficult farewell – that of saying goodbye to the column itself.
I haven't looked at the exact statistics, but I believe that I have been writing it for about ten years now. That means about 500 recipes!
We have covered a whole range of topics: history, religion, folklore, superstition, tradition and science, and done so while visiting
practically every major culture and cuisine in the world, for it is certainly true that if you want to find out about a region's culture and history, the best place to start is its food.
We have also spent a time looking at the funny side of life, with anecdotes from the everyday existence of the wide range of characters that a cook like me comes across in the course of his business. Regular readers will know, for instance, about the scholarly but occasionally hectic life of my friend Keith, the vicar, and I must express my thanks to him for the many times when he has provided me with authoritative background knowledge.
One of the main messages that I hope has come across is that I tend to think of myself as a 'cook' rather than a 'chef'. It helps me keep my feet on the ground and reminds me that what I am doing is really very basic, albeit that I try to find as many ways as possible to inject magic and mystique into the process.
Often, in professional catering, there is an element of 'smoke and mirrors' involved in producing the 'wow' factor that keeps people coming back for more. People need to know that you have added something to their eating experience that they are either unable or unwilling to add themselves, and I hope that some of these recipes have enabled you to accomplish this feat at home.
We have travelled far and wide over the years, but I have deliberately returned to England, where my culinary heart lies, for my final recipe: a true British classic.
Farewell, and happy cooking!
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Fish and Chips
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INGREDIENTS per person
4oz/110g fillet of haddock or cod, skin and bones removed
4oz/110g thick-cut chips
4oz/110g plain flour
salt and freshly-ground black pepper
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
8 fl oz/250ml chilled English ale
2 medium egg whites
sunflower oil for frying
METHOD
1. Sift the flour into a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add the oil and whisk in the ale. Make sure the batter is free from lumps, but do not overbeat as the coating will turn out to be too heavy. Leave to stand for an hour at room temperature.
2. Rinse the chips and pat dry. It is best to cook them in small batches, and for best results you must keep a close eye on the temperature. It is best to use a deep-fat fryer with a built-in thermostat. Heat the oil to 190C, add the chips and adjust the
thermostat to 175C. The temperature will drop to below 175C and then rise to this steady mark. Allow the chips to cook until limp but not brown. Remove from the pan and reserve.
3. To fry the fish, return the thermostat to 190C. Beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks and fold gently into the batter. Flour the fillets lightly, coat in the batter and lower one fillet at a time
gently into the hot oil, cooking until golden brown (about 8 minutes) and turning half way through.
4. Remove the fillets and drain on kitchen paper. Return the chips to the fryer at 190C for another minute or two until crisp and brown, and serve.
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Weather for Bedford
Sunday 12 February 2012
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