Fish – Alternative fish for Fish and Chips

The potato is probably not as important as the method. Simply frying them will not get you the fry you want. Basically you boil them, then double fry them. Here are the steps for The Perfect French Fry:

Ingredients

2 pounds russet potatoes (about 4 large), peeled and cut into 1/4-inch by 1/4-inch fries (keep potatoes stored in a bowl of water)

2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar

Kosher salt

2 quarts peanut oil

Procedure

1. Place potatoes and vinegar in saucepan and add 2 quarts of water and 2 tablespoons of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil for 10 minutes. Potatoes should be fully tender, but not falling apart. Drain and spread on paper towel-lined rimmed baking sheet. Allow to dry for five minutes.

2. Meanwhile, heat oil in 5-quart Dutch oven or large wok over high heat to 400°F. Add 1/3 of fries to oil (oil temperature should drop to around 360°F). Cook for 50 seconds, agitating occasionally with wire mesh spider, then remove to second paper-towel lined rimmed baking sheet. Repeat with remaining potatoes (working in two more batches), allowing oil to return to 400°F after each addition. Allow potatoes to cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Continue with step 3, or for best results, freeze potatoes at least over night, or up to 2 months.

3. Return oil to 400°F over high heat. Fry half of potatoes until crisp and light golden brown, about 3 1/2 minutes, adjusting heat to maintain at around 360°F. Drain in a bowl lined with paper towels and season immediately with kosher salt. Cooked fries can be kept hot and crisp on a wire rack set on a sheet tray in a 200°F oven while second batch is cooked. Serve immediately.

Worth reading is also the science behind the perfect fries.

White fish are, as a rule, more delicately flavored than darker fleshed fish. Add farm-raised to that equation and you have the makings for a very bland meal, which is why you almost always see farm-raised white-fleshed fish served with heavy herb treatments and powerful sauces, or (in cod's case) fry batter. Tilapia and cod are two of the most common farm-raised fish on the market, so I'm leaning heavily on my suspicion that you're trying to make sushi out of the farm-raised varieties and not wild game.

If it's white fish you desire for sushi, talk to your fishmonger. Tell him what you're doing and ask for his recommendation. He'll direct you toward game fish that that are either very new and very fresh or that of the flash-frozen variety.