Fish & Chips with Summer Herb Tartar Sauce

What’s golden brown and delicious? Fish and chips. There’s no better fish you can use for fish and chips than fluke. Fluke offers a subtle, sweet flavor with tiny flakes as you crack through the crispy batter.

One of my simplest tricks to enhance fluke’s flavor and golden color is to add Vadouvan curry.

In the late 17th century, the French East India Company established a presence in Pondicherry, an area of South India. Since then, Vadouvan curry, a sweeter, shallot-based version of masala curry that is popular in many Tamil lamb and shrimp dishes, has also delighted in Parisian recipes. It’s a great pairing for fish and chips.

Tartar sauce is one of the first cold sauces I learned to make. And it was completely on the fly. I was working the fried fish shack at Hersheypark, my first job. To be honest, we got the tartar sauce pre made. One day, we unexpectedly ran out of tartar sauce as the line was building. In a panic, one of my coworkers said, “Quick, mix pickle relish with mayo”. That day, I learned the most basic tartar sauce recipe. Since then, I’ve elevated my tartar-sauce game. Nowadays, I mix tons of spring herbs, capers, anchovy and some shallots — and actually omit the pickle relish.

Day 1: Tartar Sauce

Prep Time: 5 to 10 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 1/4 teaspoon mustard
• 1-1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
• 3/4 cup grapeseed oil
• 1 teaspoon salt-packed anchovy, rinsed and finely chopped (omit if you dislike anchovies)
• 1 teaspoon capers, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon parsley, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon tarragon, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon chives, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon shallot, finely chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon caper juice
• Salt, to taste

Step by Step

1. Place 1 egg in a small saucepan and cover with at least 1 inch of cold water
2. Bring to a boil over high heat, and then immediately remove it from the heat
3. Cover the pan and let the egg rest for 12 minutes before transferring it to an ice bath
4. Once cooled, peel and chop the egg and place it into an airtight container for later
5. In a blender, combine the remaining egg with the mustard and lemon juice and begin to blend
6. While the blender is running, slowly stream in the oil to emulsify until mayo forms
7. Place the mayo into a medium bowl and fold in the chopped egg, anchovy, capers, spices and caper juice
8. Add salt to taste
9. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to one week

Day 2: Chips

Making these chips is a two-day process, but it’s totally worth the wait. These chips are crunchy on the outside, and soft and pillowy inside.

Prep Time: 5 to 10 minutes | Cook Time: 3 to 4 minutes | Freezer Time: 2 hours to overnight

Ingredients

• 3 Russet potatoes (any starchy potato will do)
• Canola oil, as needed

Step by Step

1. Wash the potatoes, leaving the skin on
2. Cut the potatoes lengthwise into thin fries, about 1/4 inch thick
3. Place the fries in a medium bowl filled with water to prevent them from oxidizing while you work
4. In a large stockpot, heat 3 inches of canola oil to 300F degrees over medium-high heat
5. Thoroughly rinse the potatoes to remove any starch and pat dry
6. Drop the potatoes in the oil and fry until tender, about 3 to 4 minutes

Farm2ChefsTable Tip: The potatoes should achieve no color. This method is called blanching. It allows you to cook them all the way through. This will allow the fried “chips” to get nice and golden brown in hot frying oil later.

• Remove the fries from the oil and drain them on a large plate lined with paper towel
• Reserve the oil for the second round of frying
• Place the blanched fries on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and freeze until solid, at least 2 hours, or overnight so they can be fried the next day

Day 3: Batter & Fry the Fish, Fry the Chips & Serve

Fish Batter

Prep Time: 5 to 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 cups flour
• 3/4 cup cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon Vadouvan curry powder
• 4 cup + 1 teaspoon beer
• Salt, to taste

Step by Step

1. Combine the flour, cornstarch and baking powder in a medium bowl
2. Season with salt
3. In a separate medium bowl, combine 1 cup of the flour mixture with the beer, and whisk to combine
4. Reserve the remaining flour mixture for dredging the fluke

Fluke

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 lbs. fluke, cleaned, filleted and skinned
• Salt, to taste

Step by Step

1. Cut the fluke into 4-inch long strips by 1/2-inch thick
2. Dredge the fish in the flour mixture from earlier, shake off the excess and set aside on a plate

Fry the Chips & Fluke

Cooking Time: 5 to 7 minutes

Step by Step

1. Reheat the frying oil over medium-high heat, adjusting as necessary to maintain a temperature of 375F degrees
2. Lower the frozen chips into the oil
3. Fry until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes
4. Remove the chips from the oil, place them on a cooling rack and season with salt to taste
5. Raise the oil temperature to 400F degrees
6. Dip the flour-dredged fluke strips into the batter you just made
7. Drop the fish strips into the hot oil and fry until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes
8. Remove the fish from the oil, drain on a cooling rack and season with salt to taste

Assemble & Serve

Step by Step

1. Place the tartar sauce in a small bowl
2. Arrange the fried fluke and chips on a plate lined with newspaper
3. Enjoy with your friends and family.