Beer-Battered Fish and Chips

Beer-Battered Fish and Chips, Rustic Joyful Food Generations, Photography by Michael Kartes.

Rustic Joyful Food: Generations Danielle Kartes grew up poor, though it never felt that way to her. She was privy to much as a child, but it wasn’t until having her own children that she fully understood the effort made by her mother to their family comfortable during times of financial hardship. There was always food on their table and it was always delicious. Whether it was veggies from the family garden or “hamburger soup,” Danielle learned from her mother not just to cook but to feed people.

There is a food Renaissance beginning. People are taking greater care in cooking again, figuring out how to eat better and how to get back to those days of slow-cooked, homegrown food while balancing a career and family. Rustic Joyful Food is about life and Generations is about the past that will always touch our present and continue to shape our future.

The recipes in this book are simple and delicious. They are meant to remind you how special family time is and how important memories made around food truly are. Inside you’ll find:

Grandma Gloria’s Oven-Fried Chicken Legs
Mom’s Swiss Steak
Old-Scool Cracker Crumb Nuggets and Sauces
Company Chicken (for when you have company!)
Real Baked Potato Soup (cheesy potato goodness!)
Curried Carrot Soup (sometimes, you need to step out!)
Aunty Pat’s Dilly Potatoes (like nostalgia and home)
Off-the-Cob Street Corn with Chipotle and Feta (a new classic)
The Ultimate Classic Beer-Battered Fish and Chips
Italian Sodas
Egg Coffee
Grandma Hawkins’s Applesauce Bundt Cake
Honey Butter Biscuit Strawberry Shortcake
Mug Cakes, a.k.a. The Emotional Support Treat
Sticky Toffee Pudding

This cookbook is not meant to be taken word for word. Just like life, they are meant to be messy and beautifully your own. It is meant to feed your soul and nourish your heart. Break the binding, scribble in your own changes, and may this cookbook bring life and love to your home for generations to come.

Rustic Joyful Food: Generations is available at Amazon.com an Indigo.ca.

The Ultimate Classic Beer-Battered Fish and Chips

PREP TIME: 15 minutes COOK TIME: 7-9 minutes for fish; 30 minutes for chips YIELD: 4 servings

CHIPS
2 pounds (approximately 4) russet potatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon salt

BATTER
12 ounces your favourite beer
1½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons chopped fresh baby dill
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cayenne

FISH
1 pound firm white fish, like halibut or cod (we use halibut for a special treat)
6 cups canola or vegetable oil, for frying
Flaky salt to finish

FOR THE CHIPS
Preheat the oven to 425′. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice the potatoes into wedges or diagonal slices resembling classic french fries, about half an inch thick. Coat with oil, and sprinkle with salt. Roast for 30 to 35 minutes, until golden brown and crisp.

FOR THE BATTER AND FISH
Whisk together all the batter ingredients; set aside. Dry the fish, and slice into 8 equal strips 1 to 1½ inches thick.

Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottom saucepan to 350°. If you don’t have a thermometer, heat the oil 7 to 9 minutes over medium to medium-high heat until it shimmers. Test the oil by dropping a bit of batter into it. If it begins to sizzle, float, and cook, you are ready to get frying. Turn the heat down if the oil hisses or begins to smoke.

Dip the fish into the batter; shake off the excess batter, and gently place the fish into the oil. Cook each piece until it’s golden brown and has reached an internal temperature of 145°, or until the fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork. It’ll take 5 to 7 minutes, depending on how large the slices are.

Drain the fish on paper towels to remove excess oil, and sprinkle with salt.

THE ULTIMATE TARTAR SAUCE
1 cup baby dill pickles
½ cup chopped fresh baby dill
¼ cup finely chopped red onion
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Squeeze fresh lemon juice
1½ cups good mayo

SPICY KETCHUP
1 cup good ketchup
1 tablespoon malt vinegar
½ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
Squeeze fresh lemon juice

FOR THE TARTAR SAUCE
Pulse the first six ingredients in a food processor, and gently fold into the mayo. This keeps up to 1 week and is best made a day in advance. Store in the fridge. If you don’t have a food processor, hand chop everything very finely and fold into mayo.

FOR THE KETCHUP
Mix, and enjoy!