Pub-Style Fish & Chips

To continue with our Irish pub themed St. Patrick's Day menu, what better to serve than pub-style fish and chips?

To assure we had plenty for our guests and to allow for some delicious leftovers, I doubled the recipe. For a smaller gathering, simple half the ingredients.

1 1.2 co ll purpose flour

1 cup flat Irish ale

vegetable oil

3 large or 4 medium russet potatoes

12 eggs, separated

salt

2 pound cod fillet

tartar sauce

lemon wedges

Combine flour, ale and 4 t. oil in small bowl. Cover; refrigerate 1 - 2 hours.

Peel and cut potatoes into thin wedges. Place in large bowl of cold water. Pour at least 2 inches oil into deep, heavy saucepan or deep fryer. Heat over medium heat to 320 degrees. Drain and thoroughly dry potatoes. Cook in batches about 4 minutes or until slightly softened but not browned. Drain on paper towels.  Reserve oil to fry cod.

Stir egg yolk into reserved flour mixture. Beat egg white in medium bowl with electric mixer at medium high speed until soft peaks form. Fold egg white into flour mixture. Season batter with pinch of salt.

Heat oil to 360 degrees. Cut fish into long pieces 2 to 3 inches wide. Remove any pin bones. Dip into batter, shaking off excess. Lower carefully into oil and cook 4 - 6 minutes or until batter is browned and fish is cooked through, turning once. Cook fish in batches and do not crowd pan. Allow temperature of oil to return to 360 degrees between batches. Drain on paper towels and keep warm.

Return potatoes wedges to oil oil; cook in batches 5 minutes or until browned and crisp. Drain and sprinkle with Salt. Serve with tartar sauce and lemon wedges.

From:  Irish Cooking