Fish and Chips

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups light beer , VERY COLD **See NOTE

extra flour for dredging , chilled

1 1/2 pounds fresh cod, haddock or other firm-fleshed white fish , cut into 4 pieces

oil for frying

use beef tallow for best traditional flavor(follow linked tutorial which is the same method for beef fat as it is for pork fat)

For the Chips:

4 large Russet potatoes or other high starch/low moisture potato , peeled, sliced thickly and put in a large bowl of cold water until ready to fry

salt for sprinkling

oil for frying

quality British Malt Vinegar , for serving

For the Fish: Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a large flat bowl. Pour in the cold beer and whisk until smooth (use the batter immediately, do not let it rest for a while). In another large flat bowl add some extra flour for dredging

Blot the fish with paper towels to remove excess moisture. Thoroughly dredge all sides of the fish in the flour and shake off the excess

Dip the fish into the beer batter to thoroughly coat all sides, allowing some of the excess batter to drip off (but not too much!)

For Frying the Fish: You can either use a deep fryer or you can use a medium-sized skillet and fill it with oil to a depth of about an inch

Heat the oil to between 350 F and 375 F, using a candy thermometer. Carefully drop the fish into the oil

Fry the fish in the deep fryer for 5-8 minutes or until nicely golden. If using a frying pan fry the fish for about 2 minutes on each side or until nicely golden. Remove the fish with a slotted spoon, letting the oil drop off, then place the fried fish on paper towels for a few seconds and serve immediately. (If you wait too long to serve the batter will lose its crispiness.)