KITCHEN PRACTICE 1 — Fish and Chips ==================================================================== SERVES 2 INGREDIENTS For the chips: 2 large potatoes, cut into thick chip shapes Frying oil (a neutral, high-smoke-point oil — vegetable or sunflower) For the fish: 2 white fish fillets (cod or haddock work well), patted dry 100g plain flour, plus extra for dusting A pinch of salt 150ml very cold sparkling water or cold beer To serve: Salt, and lemon wedges BEFORE YOU START Read this whole recipe once, fully, before doing anything — Chapter 9's own advice, and genuinely necessary here since chips and fish are timed against each other, not cooked one after the other. METHOD Step 1 — Prep the chips. Cut the potatoes into thick, even chip shapes — consistency matters more than exact size (Chapter 3's own knife-skills point about even cuts). Rinse them in cold water to remove excess surface starch, then pat completely dry with a clean towel — genuinely dry, not just damp (Chapter 4's "browning needs a dry surface" principle applies to frying too, and wet potatoes going into hot oil spit dangerously). Step 2 — First fry: cook them through. Heat your oil to around 130-140C (use a thermometer — this matters for safety as much as results, see this chapter's own warning). Fry the chips in batches (don't overcrowd the pot) for about 5-6 minutes, until they're soft and cooked through but still pale, not browned. Remove and drain on a rack or paper towel. This first fry can be done well ahead of time. Step 3 — Make the batter, but not too early. Whisk the flour and a pinch of salt together. Whisk in the very cold sparkling water (or beer) just until combined — a few lumps are fine, Chapter 6's own overmixing warning applies here too. Make this batter close to when you're ready to fry the fish, not far in advance, since it loses its lightness sitting around. Step 4 — Raise the oil temperature. Increase your oil to around 180-190C for the second, high-heat stage — this is what actually produces crisp, golden results. Step 5 — Fry the fish. Pat the fish fillets dry again. Dust lightly in plain flour, then dip into the batter, letting excess drip off. Carefully lower into the hot oil and fry for about 4-6 minutes, until deep golden and cooked through — check with your thermometer for 63C (Chapter 2's own fish figure) or the "opaque, flakes easily" cue from Chapter 7. Step 6 — Second fry the chips, timed to finish together. While the fish is frying (or right after, depending on your pot situation), return the par-cooked chips to the hot oil for their second fry — about 2-3 minutes, until genuinely golden and crisp. This is the step that actually needs the timing skill from this chapter: work backwards so the chips' second fry finishes at roughly the same moment as the fish. Step 7 — Drain, season, and serve immediately. Drain both on paper towel or a rack. Season the chips with salt while they're still hot — salt sticks to hot, freshly-fried food far better than food that's cooled down. Serve immediately with lemon wedges. -------------------------------------------------------------------- WHY THIS WORKS The double-fry on the chips is the real, professional technique behind genuinely good chips: the first, lower-temperature fry cooks the potato through without much colour; the second, higher-temperature fry is purely about crisping and browning the exterior — two different jobs that a single fry can't do well at once. Sequencing that second fry against the fish's own single fry is exactly Chapter 10's own "work backwards from serving time" principle, made real.