Traditional Fish and Chips

Cut the potatoes into 1.5cm thick chips and rinse thoroughly under cold water until the water runs clear, then spread on a clean tea towel and pat completely dry.

Place the dried chips in a large pan of cold, well-salted water, bring to the boil, and simmer for 4–5 minutes until just tender but still holding their shape — a skewer should meet slight resistance. Drain carefully and spread in a single layer on a wire rack to steam-dry for at least 20 minutes.

Combine the plain flour, rice flour, salt, baking powder, and white pepper in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Keep the sparkling water and vodka refrigerator-cold until needed. Set aside extra plain flour in a shallow dish for dusting the fish.

Heat the dripping or oil in a large, heavy-based pot or deep-fryer to 130°C. Working in two batches, fry the par-cooked chips for 5–6 minutes until pale golden with a papery outer skin but no deep colour. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a wire rack.

Increase the oil temperature to 190°C. Return the first batch of blanched chips to the oil and fry for 4–5 minutes until deep golden and fully crisp. Drain on the wire rack, season immediately with flaky sea salt, and keep warm in a low oven at 100°C while you cook the fish and the second batch of chips.

Fry the second batch of chips at 190°C for 4–5 minutes until deep golden and crisp. Drain on the wire rack and season with flaky sea salt.

Reduce the oil temperature to 180°C. Working quickly, whisk the ice-cold sparkling water and vodka into the seasoned flour mixture until just combined — the batter should be roughly the consistency of double cream with a few lumps remaining. Do not overmix.

Pat the fish fillets completely dry with kitchen paper and season lightly with salt and pepper. Dust each fillet generously in plain flour, shaking off any excess.

Dip one flour-dusted fillet into the batter, letting any excess drip off, then lower it away from you into the 180°C oil. Fry for 6–8 minutes, turning once halfway through, until the batter is deep golden. Check the internal temperature of the fish with a meat thermometer — it should reach 63°C to be safely cooked through. Remove and drain on a wire rack. Fry the remaining fillets in batches of two to avoid crowding the pan.

Serve immediately with malt vinegar, white wine vinegar, and extra flaky sea salt on the side.