FISH AND CHIPS

This is one of my fried indulgences, and it is so easy! The fish comes skinned and boned from the freezer. You open a bottle of cold beer, use a little, and drink the rest! Rewarding dish, isn't it? And if you are proudly lazy like me, get a packet of french fries from the freezer and fry it. There are no measurements for the ingredients, really. Use as many fish as you want to have, or for as many people you cooking for.

INGREDIENTS:

• Basa fillet (if it is too big, halve it from the middle)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper - to season accordingly
• Vegetable oil - for deep frying,
• Cold beer,
• Flour,
• Potatoes - cut into french fries, or wedges,
• Tartar sauce - store bought.

METHOD:

• Thaw the fish fillets, if using frozen, and drain all the water.  Dab nicely with kitchen paper. Season the fillets on both sides with salt and pepper. Keep it under-seasoned, as the batter will have salt in it.
• Make the batter with flour and beer, which is like the batter you make for frying bhajiya / telebhaja. It should stick to the fish while frying.
• Heat oil in a deep saucepan, or wok.  
• Dip the fish into the batter, coat the fillet evenly. Fry in medium hot oil for around 5 mins., till it is golden brown. 
• Remove on paper towel, and allow it to absorb excess oil.
• For the chips, if using frozen, follow packet instructions and deep fry in a separate wok / deep saucepan.
• If you are making the chips from scratch, then you need to fry the potatoes twice. First fry the chips in a very low-heat oil for about 10 mins. The oil should not be too hot, and the potatoes won't colour at this stage. Remove and drain on a wire mesh colander. THIS SHOULD BE DONE BEFORE YOU FRY YOUR FISH.
• Now, heat the oil for the chips again. It should be fairly hot this time. Fry the chips again for 3-4 mins. They should be lightly golden around the corners.  Remove and drain on paper towels. Season with salt, and shake the chips so that every potato stick gets some salt.
• Serve the fried 'fish n chips' with some tartar sauce.

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