Fish and No Chips!

I've told you all that Toronto boasts of being quite multi-ethnic. I can dine at practically any type of restaurant I want and with some darting around the city, buy the most outlandish, obscure, foreign food item out there.

Conversely, it is getting harder and harder to find more traditional foods on a menu or at the market. One such instance is fish and chips. With Toronto's WASP dominance waning in the 80's, a good fish and chip store is ever harder to find. When I was growing up, I could have walked to at least 3 fish shops. Now...the nearest one is a 10 minute drive.

I've also tried making my own fish and chips at home with varying success and the main sticking point was of course, finding the right batter. My frustrations led me to use a "just add water" batter that I bought at a bulk food store. The result was very good but I wanted a "go to" recipe that I could make at home.

I recently caught an episode of The Main of Food Network Canada. It's hosted by Anthony Sedlak and he was the latest winner of Canada's Next Top Chef. He's got good credentials, the show is instructional and he's able to show some new things to viewers.

I was impressed with his Beer-Battered Cod and Chips episode. Last night I tried his batter out with some John Dory fillets I had and I also tried out his tarter sauce.

The end results were wonderful on both counts BUT....someone at Food Network Canada should re-check the ingredient amounts. The beer batter needed way more flower and his tarter sauce only had 1 egg yolk, no mayo!

Before I get on with the ingredients, let me explain my title "Fish and No Chips". You see, being in a Greek household, we usually sneak in a Greek twist to the meal and last night's accompaniment was Gigantes sto Fourno (Greek Baked Beans). You'll have to drop by my blog tomorrow for that recipe but in the meantime, click here to read about My Ultimate Greek French Fries.

Beer-Battered Fish

4 X 4oz. fish fillets (cod, haddock, halibut, john dory)
1 tsp. of active dry yeast
3 Tbsp. of warm (body temperature water)
1 bottle of cold beer
2 1/4 cups of flower (approx. as the batter should be as thick as pancake batter)
1 Tbsp. salt
pepper to taste
1/4 flour for dredging
1 liter vegetable oil for frying the fish

Tarter Sauce

1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp Dijon mustard
300 ml vegetable oil
1 shallot, finely minced (or 1/4 cup red onion)
2 Tbsp. minced cornichons
2 Tbsps chopped chive 2
Tbsps chopped parsley
2 Tbsps capers, drained and finely chopped
lemon juice to taste
pepper to taste (salty enough from the capers)

Mix all of the above sauce ingredients in a bowl and cover and refrigerate until dinner is ready to be served.

Fish Directions

1. To prepare the beer batter, combine yeast and warm water in a medium bowl. Let stand about a minute at room temperature; yeast should begin to foam slightly.
2. Add the beer and stir in sifted flour. Mix should resemble pancake batter consistency; adjust with additional flour or water if necessary.
3. To prepare fish slice fillets into approximately 12 x 2oz portions. (Each piece should resemble a chicken finger).
   
4. Dust the fillets with the remaining flour and season lightly with salt and pepper.
5. Dip one at a time into batter and fry, in small batches, in 360F oil until gloden. Remove fillets with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Season with sea salt.
   

Feta Frites

I'm still relatively new to the blogosphere but I've found the community to be very friendly, helpful and exhilarating with all the new recipes I've been discovering on people's sites.

Among the first new friends I have is Nicole of Pinch My Salt. This gal is very lucky to be currently living in Sicily and absorbing it's rich heritage in food.

I noticed that Nicole had a prepared a cucumber salad with a feta cheese dressing and the timing couldn't have been better as I had just tried another feta sauce but I was underwhelmed.

I've stayed largely true to her recipe but left out the olive oil and substituted some evaporated milk to help smooth out the sauce and I left out the lemon juice as the zest was suffice.

In Canada & the US, we have our fries with ketchup or gravy. In Belgium, Netherlands & France they like a mayonnaise with their frites.

What about Greeks? Why....we like our "patates tiganites" with feta! This side dish is often found in greektowns around the world. I had these feta frites with my gyro or souvlaki. Try them at home...a sure crowd pleaser!

Creamy Feta Dressing

8 oz. plain yogurt
4 oz. feta cheese
2 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tbsp evaporated milk
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp garlic powder or 1 clove minced garlic
pinch of salt
fresh ground pepper
Splash of water

1) Using a plastic container, I first put in the crumbled feta in with a splash of water and using a fork, I mashed the feta into a paste.

2) I then mixed in the mayo, lemon zest, oregano, garlic powder, yogurt. I took a taste and seasoned with salt & pepper, a little more oregano and added the evaporated milk to get the creaminess I desired.

3) Spoon the sauce over your bed of frites or in a side serving bowl.

French Fries The Greek Way

Now onto our fries. This addendum is at the request of Jenn, the Leftover Queen and who will be paying me royalties for this closely guarded Greek secret to fries. You want cripsy- golden fries that are soft on the inside? Read on...

You need Yukon Gold potatoes, vegetable oil for frying, sea salt and a mandoline.

1) Using your mandoline, use the insert that will give you a cut of fries that are just like at that fast joint I call "Rotten Ronnies".

2) Allow your cut potatoes to sit in a bowl of ice-cold water for approx. 10 minutes.

3) When you're ready to fry, get your vessel of choice heated up to that 350-360 F heat and throw your potatoes in a strainer to drain most of the water (and lessen frying mishaps).

4) When think your oil is hot test by throwing in a small piece of potato and if it floats & starts sizzling, your oil is ready. Throw in the rest of your potatoes but don't crowd the vessel as it will lower your oil's heat and affect your result.

5) You are only going to "par-fry" the potatoes....say 5 minutes and reserve them in a toweled plate for 10 minutes. This method works really well if you're cooking in batches for a larger dinner.

6) After your 10 minutes have lapsed, throw your par-fried potatoes back into the hot oil and fry until you get the desired golden-brown fries we all know & love. Season with fine salt, toss and serve.