Ingredients

2 large russet potatoes (about 1 pound)
1½ pounds white fish fillets (cod, haddock, halibut, or whiting), cut crosswise into 2½-inch pieces
Salt
¾ cup self-rising flour
¾ tsp salt
¾ cup ice water
3 tbsp beer
1 egg yolk
Peanut or canola oil for deep-frying
2 egg whites
All-purpose flour for dusting the fish
Salt, malt vinegar, and/or ketchup, pickled onions and cucumbers, lemon wedges

1. Slice potatoes lengthwise into  1/3-inch slices. Stack a few slices together and cut into 1/3-inch-wide strips. Dry potatoes thoroughly with paper towels. Rub fish pieces generously with salt; let stand until ready to fry. Make batter: In large bowl toss flour and salt. Whisk in water, beer, egg yolk until batter is completely smooth. Let batter stand while preparing potatoes.

2. Line baking sheet with double thickness of paper towels and preheat oven to
300 degrees. Place all potatoes in one layer in deep heavy skillet or wok; cover with cold oil by 1½ inches. Turn heat to high and let oil come to 250 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. (Have a screen ready as the oil will splatter.) Continue cooking potatoes until oil comes to 350 degrees. Turn heat down to very low; cook for another 2 minutes, or until potatoes are cooked through and golden. Turn heat off under oil. With slotted spoon, transfer potatoes to drain on paper towels.

3. Whisk egg whites until very foamy. Whisk into batter. Spread thin layer of flour on large plate; dredge fish lightly with flour. Reheat oil over high heat to 360 degrees. (A pinch of batter dropped into the oil should puff on contact.) Using fork, dip piece of fish in batter until well coated. Shake off excess batter and slide fish into oil. Dip 3 or 4 more pieces of fish into batter and place in oil.

4. Fry until golden brown and cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. With slotted spoon, transfer fish to drain on paper towels. Fry rest of fish in same fashion. Serve at once, with chips and suggested accompaniments. Serves 4.

This recipe comes courtesy of Anthone Christou, the Cypriot owner of the Golden Hind, a highly recommended dive on a side street in London’s Marylebone neighborhood. “The key to perfection,” Christou explains, is the proportion of batter to fish. Unscrupulous fish-and-chip shops use overpuffed batter as a “cheap ploy” to make servings appear larger. Published in The Week.