Andy Cooks: Beer Battered Fish and Triple Cooked Chips

METHOD

For the tartare sauce, mix everything together in a bowl until combined. Set aside in the fridge until later.

For the triple cooked chips, wash your potatoes well, don't peel them as the skin adds to the dimension and taste. Using a chef knife, cut them into 2cm-thick (about 3/4 inch) chips. Place them in a large pot filled with cold water to get rid of any excess starch. When you're ready to cook, drain the chips, then return them to the pot and cover with fresh, cold water. Add the salt, then bring to the boil. Cook for 4-5 minutes or until the potatoes are just tender.

Drain the potatoes well, then lay them out evenly on a wire rack placed over a tray. Freeze, uncovered, for 1 hour to completely cool and dry the potatoes. Alternatively, you can do this the day before and just leave them, uncovered, in the fridge overnight. When the chips are completely cold, half fill a large pot with oil and heat to 140°C (280°F) - Andy always uses a thermometer to check the temperature. If you don't have one, you could heat the oil until a cube of bread turns golden in 4 minutes.

Working in small batches so you don't overcrowd the pan, add the chips to the oil and cook for 9-10 minutes or until they just start to change colour. Using a spider strainer, remove the potatoes from the oil and transfer to the wire rack, then return the tray to the freezer to cool again. Meanwhile, heat the oil to 180°C (350°F). Again, use a thermometer to check the temperature, or heat the oil until a wooden spoon dipped into the oil produces lots of bubbles. Working in batches, cook the cooled chips for 4-5 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Drain well on a wire rack, hit 'em with some more salt, then serve.

For the fish, combine the flours and salt in a large bowl and whisk to combine well. Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture, then crack your egg into the well and add about half the beer. Starting from the centre, whisk to combine the liquid and dry ingredients, working your way slowly to the edge of the bowl and incorporating everything as you go to create a smooth batter. Add more beer as required until you have a medium coating consistency. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, then refrigerate the batter for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours. Give it a whisk before using as it can separate a bit as it stands.

Preheat the oven to 60°C (140°F). When it's time to cook the fish, half-fill a large saucepan with oil and heat until 180°C (350°F) - use a thermometer to check the temperature, or heat it until a wooden spoon dipped into the oil produces lots of bubbles. Dry the fish with kitchen paper, then season well with salt. Working with one piece of fish at a time, dust each fillet with flour, shaking off the excess. Working with two pieces of fish at a time, dip the fish into the batter to completely coat it, letting any excess batter drain off.

Slowly lower the battered fillets into the hot oil, holding each at the tip of the tail end and wiggling the fillets gently around in the oil. You want to wait for the fish to float to the surface before letting it drop, otherwise it'll sink and stick to the base of the pan. Start cooking the thickest pieces of fish first, then the thinner ones. Cook for about 7-8 minutes or until your batter is crispy and golden.

While you're waiting, place a wire rack on top of a baking tray. Carefully remove the fish from the oil, place it on the rack and season with salt, then pop the tray in the oven to drain and keep warm while the remaining fish cooks. Serve with triple-cooked chips, tartare sauce and lemon wedges.