Add the corn starch, baking powder and the remaining all purpose flour into a large mixing bowl.
1 tsp baking powder, 60 g cornstarch
Add pinch of salt and pepper and stir to combine.
salt, black pepper
Using a sturdy whisk or a fork, whisk while slowly adding the sparkling water and then the dark beer. Keep whisking until you have a lovely smooth and thick batter.
80 ml sparkling water, 80 ml dark beer
Cover the bowl with a cloth and place in the fridge to relax for at least 30 minutes.
While the batter is relaxing, peel the potatoes and slice the potatoes into chip size pieces. ½ inch thick works perfectly for crispness and fluffy.
900 g potatoes
Add the chips into a large bowl of water to help remove some of the starch and stir gently. Replace the water a few times until no longer cloudy. Drain the water away when happy.
Place a pan of cold water over a high heat and add the chips. When the water starts to boil, turn the heat own and simmer for 3 minutes.
Drain the chips using a colander and then transfer onto paper towels or kitchen towels and pat dry.
Heat the oil to 350F/175C in a deep sided pan or deep fat fryer.
vegetable oil
When the oil is up to temperature, cook the chips in batches for 2 – 3 minutes. You do not want to brown them only to lightly cook at this stage. Place the chips on a paper towel to drain while cooking the rest.
Using a shallow bowl/dish add the all-purpose flour you put to one side earlier. Place each of the fish pieces into the flour, roll over and then gently shake off any excess flour.
Dip the floured fish into the batter making sure fully coated and carefully lower into the oil.
Cook for 3 – 4 minutes or until the batter is lovely and crispy and golden brown. Flip the fish over several times to make sure its cooked evenly.
When cooked, remove from the oil onto more paper towel and drain any excess. Season with a pinch of salt straight away, cover and keep warm while you finish cooking the meal.
Now that the fish is cooked perfectly, and the chips have been fried once it time to finish the chips off. Increase the temperature of the oil to 400F/205C and when up to temp, add the chips in batches and fry until golden brown with a slight crisp. Normally about 5 minutes or so but depends on quantity etc.
Remove the cooked chips from the oil and drain. Again, season with a little salt.
Serve immediately when everything is crispy and delicious.