Golden Perch Beer-Battered Fish n' Chips

For the Fish:

• 2 quarts vegetable oil for frying
• 8 (4 ounce) fillets cod (or other firm white frying fish)
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons paprika
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle beer

1. Heat oil in a deep fryer to 365 degrees F (185 degrees C). Rinse fish, pat dry, and season with salt and pepper.
2. Combine flour, garlic powder, paprika, 2 teaspoons salt, and 2 teaspoons pepper. Stir egg into dry ingredients. Gradually mix in beer until a thin batter is formed. You should be able to see the fish through the batter after it has been dipped.
3. Dip fish fillets into the batter, then drop one at a time into hot oil. Fry fish, turning once, until both sides are golden brown. Drain on paper towels, and serve warm.

For the Chips:

Brine 

• 8 cups cold water
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• ½ cup corn syrup, (can sub 1/3 cup sugar)
• 
  
• 3 tablespoons salt
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1 teaspoon white vinegar

Fries

• 6 large Russet potatoes, About 4.5 pounds
• 
  
• 1 quart vegetable oil
• 
  
• ½ cup vegetable shortening
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Salt, for seasoning

Instructions

• Combine the brine ingredients and set aside.
• Peel and rinse that potatoes.
• Slice them into strings just under ½ inch. (A french fry potato cutter makes this easy.)
• Place them in the cold brine as you slice them. Ensure the potatoes are completely submerged. Add more cold water if needed.
• Cover and place the brine in the fridge for 2 hours or overnight.
• Drain and rinse them twice with cold water. Pat them completely dry.
• Preheat oil to 300 degrees. (A dutch oven and oil thermometer is very helpful.)
• Fry the potatoes in batches for about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towels. They will be very soft. (This is a good thing.)
• Add the vegetable oil and increase the heat to 400 degrees. Fry in batches again until golden brown. (It’s hard to be patient during this part.)
• Remove and place on paper towels. Season with salt right away and serve!

 

Notes:

How To Store and Reheat Leftovers

Refrigerating:

• Let any leftover fries cool completely and store them in a Freezer bag in the fridge, removing as much air from the bag as possible.
• To reheat, bake at 350° F for  about 10 minutes. They reheat very well.

Freezing:

• Flash freeze them on a baking sheet or plate until solid, 1 hour or so.
• Store them in a freezer Ziploc bag in the freezer until ready to eat!
• Reheat in a preheated 350° F oven until warm and crisp, about 15 minutes or so.

Make-Ahead Method

• Soak the fries as instructed, dry them completely. Fry them in batches at 360° for 5 minutes. Place on a paper towel.
• Transfer to a plate/tray and flash freeze them for 40 minutes.
• Transfer to them to a freezer bag and freeze them for up to 3 months.
• When ready to serve, remove them from the freezer and fry them in batches at 400° until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
• Transfer to paper towels and season them immediately with salt.

Sources: All Recipes

              The Cozy Cook