Fish and chips

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 lbpotatoes, floury, such as Maris Piper, cut into thick chips
• 2 quartssunflower oil, for deep frying
• 4cod fillets, skinless, about 180 g each
• 5 1/4 ozall-purpose flour, for the batter
• 1 3/4 ozcornstarch
• 1 tspbaking powder
• 1 1/4 cupssparkling water, ice cold
• 1 1/2 ozall-purpose flour, for dusting the fish
• 2 tspsea salt
• 2 tbspmalt vinegar, to serve
• 1lemon, cut into wedges, to serve

Method

1. 1

   Rinse the cut potatoes under cold water until it runs clear, then dry them thoroughly in a clean cloth. Wet chips and hot oil are a bad combination in every sense.

2. 2

   Heat the sunflower oil in a deep pan to 285°F and cook the chips in batches until they are soft all the way through but still completely pale. Lift them onto a rack and let them cool.

3. 3

   Whisk the all-purpose flour, cornstarch and baking powder together, then pour in the ice-cold sparkling water and whisk just until it comes together. Lumps are fine and welcome.

4. 4

   Bring the oil up to 350°F. Dust each cod fillet in the dusting flour, shake off the excess, drag it through the batter, and lower it into the oil away from you. Fry until the batter is deep gold and rigid.

5. 5

   Keeping the oil at 350°F, fry the cooled chips again in batches until they are golden and audibly crisp, then drain them and toss with the salt.

6. 6

   Serve the fish and chips immediately, with the malt vinegar and lemon wedges on the side.