Buck's Fish and Chips

Your City: There's nothing like cracking through a shell of blistered, bubble-thin batter into steaming white cod, with a pile of chips that shatter on the outside and go fluffy in the middle.

What Most People Don't Know About Making Fish and Chips

• The Batter Needs Alcohol, Not Just Beer: Vodka in the batter is the single biggest upgrade most home cooks skip. Alcohol evaporates faster than water and inhibits gluten formation, so the crust dries out and crisps before it can turn bready or tough. Beer alone gets you partway there — beer plus a shot of vodka gets you the glassy, shattering crust you get at a proper chippy.
• Chips Are Fried Three Times, Not Twice — and the First Stage Isn't Frying: Simmer the cut potatoes in Bald Buck Seasoning-seasoned, vinegared water until they're just about to fall apart, then chill them completely before they ever touch oil. Parboiling gelatinizes the starch into a fluffy interior and roughs up the surface into microscopic craggy edges, which is where the crunch comes from. The vinegar keeps the pectin from breaking down entirely so they hold their shape even when cooked soft.
• Mix the Batter Cold, and Mix It Late: Cold batter hitting hot oil creates a violent steam burst that inflates the coating into a lacy, hollow shell rather than a dense jacket. Rest the wet batter and it goes flat and gluten-heavy. Ice-cold liquid, lumps left alone, and into the oil within a couple of minutes.

Ingredients

For the Chips:

• 3 lbs russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch batons
• 1 tbsp Bald Buck Seasoning (for the parboil water)
• 2 tbsp distilled white vinegar
• 2 quarts peanut or canola oil, for frying
• Bald Buck Seasoning, for finishing

For the Fish:

• 2 lbs cod or haddock fillets, cut into 6 pieces, about 1 1/2 inches thick
• 1 tsp Bald Buck Seasoning
• 1/2 cup rice flour, for dredging

For the Batter:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup rice flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp Bald Buck Seasoning
• 1 1/2 cups cold lager or pale ale, ice cold
• 1/4 cup vodka, ice cold

For Serving:

• Malt vinegar
• Lemon wedges

Instructions

• Parboil the Chips: Place cut potatoes in a large pot, cover with cold water by 2 inches, and add 1 tbsp Bald Buck Seasoning and the vinegar. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook 8–10 minutes, until a knife slides in with no resistance and the outer edges look slightly frayed. They should be right at the edge of falling apart. Drain gently in a colander and let steam dry 5 minutes.
• Chill the Chips: Spread the parboiled potatoes on a wire rack set over a sheet pan in a single layer. Refrigerate uncovered at least 30 minutes, up to overnight. The surfaces should feel dry and slightly tacky. Do not skip this — wet, warm potatoes will steam instead of fry.
• First Fry: Heat oil to 325°F in a heavy Dutch oven, filling no more than halfway. Fry the chips in 3 batches, 5–6 minutes per batch, until pale blonde with a faint skin formed but no color. Remove to a clean wire rack. Let cool at least 20 minutes, or refrigerate up to 3 hours.
• Prep the Fish: Pat fillets completely dry with paper towels. Season all over with 1 tsp Bald Buck Seasoning. Dredge each piece in the 1/2 cup rice flour and shake off all excess — this is a bonding layer, not a coating. Set on a rack.
• Second Fry — Chips: Raise oil to 375°F. Fry the chips in 3 batches, 3–4 minutes each, until deep golden and audibly hard when tapped against the spider. Drain on a rack, toss immediately with Bald Buck Seasoning while glistening. Hold in a 200°F oven.
• Mix the Batter: Now, and not before. Whisk together the all-purpose flour, rice flour, baking powder, and 1 tsp Bald Buck Seasoning. Pour in the ice-cold beer and ice-cold vodka. Whisk just until it comes together — 10 seconds. Lumps are correct. The consistency should be like heavy cream and coat a spoon in a thin sheet. Use within 2 minutes.
• Fry the Fish: Bring oil back to 375°F. Dip a fillet into the batter, lift, let the excess run off for 2 seconds, then lower it halfway into the oil and hold for 3 seconds before releasing — this sets the bottom so it doesn't weld to the pot. Fry 2–3 pieces at a time, 6–7 minutes, flipping once at the halfway mark, until deep golden and the crust is rigid and blistered. Internal temperature should read 140°F.
• Drain and Rest: Transfer to a wire rack — never paper towels, which trap steam and soften the underside. Rest 2 minutes. Fry the remaining fish, returning the oil to 375°F between batches.
• Serve: Pile the chips, lay the fish on top, and bring malt vinegar and lemon to the table. Eat immediately — this dish has a 10-minute window and it is not negotiable.

Make-Ahead Option

Complete the chips through the first fry (step 3) up to a day ahead. Cool completely, cover loosely, and refrigerate on the rack. They actually improve — the extra dehydration time makes for a crisper final fry. Pick up at step 5 when you're ready to eat.

Enjoy Your Fish and Chips!

Nothing you order out is going to beat what just came out of that pot.