Beer-battered fish with French fries

Ingredients:

• 3 large potatoes (about 0.7 kg)
• Vegetable oil, for deep frying
• 1 and 1/4 cups premium flour
• 1 cup rice flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 bottle of 0.33 l lager, chilled
• 0.7 kg Pacific cod fillet (in one piece), cut into 12 pieces
• Malt vinegar and lemon wedges for serving

Preparation:

1. Place a colander in a large bowl of ice water. Slice the potatoes lengthwise into 0.5 cm thick slices, then stack the slices and cut into 0.5 cm thick strips, immediately placing them in the ice water. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Remove the colander from the ice water, rinse the potatoes well, and pat dry with paper towels.
2. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Heat 4 inches (10 cm) of vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven until it registers 280°F (140°C) on a deep-fry thermometer. Add half of the potatoes and fry until tender but not browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate. Repeat with the remaining potatoes. Increase the oil temperature to 350°F (180°C).
3. In a large bowl, combine 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, rice flour, baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and cayenne pepper. Stir in the beer and whisk until almost smooth. Let sit for 5 minutes to thicken the batter.
4. Place a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle the fish with salt. Working in two batches, coat the fish in the remaining 1/2 cup flour, then dip it in the beer batter, allowing any excess to drip back into the bowl. Deep-fry until golden brown and crisp, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and sprinkle with salt. Return the fish to the oven to keep warm.
5. Increase the oil temperature to 375°F (195°C). Working in two batches, fry the potatoes again until golden and crispy, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and season with salt.
6. Serve fish and chips with malt vinegar and lemon wedges.
   
   
   Note
   
   The combination of rice and wheat flour in the batter gives the fish an airy, crispy crust..