Fish and Chips

We've been buying the packages of cod loins from Sam's Club for a few months now. They're a nice size for making this Fish and Chips recipe from Emeril. Well, we make the fish, our "chips" are usually from the freezer.

I didn't get many photos - he's a tough subject. :o)

This time Greg made onion rings to go with the fish. He sliced a sweet onion, dipped the rings in the batter, and fried them up before he did the fish.
Here's the batter recipe:

Ingredients
6 to 8 cups peanut oil, for frying (we used canola oil)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
8 ounces amber beer (he usually uses Sam Adams)
2 eggs
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons pepper
Directions
2 teaspoons Essence, recipe follows
1 cup rice flour (he uses regular all-purpose)
2 pounds haddock or other firm, white flesh fish cut into 4-ounce strips

Lemon slices or pepper vinegar (we like malt vinegar)
Heat oil in large pot or in an electric deep-fryer to 350 degrees F.
In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, beer, eggs and half of the salt, pepper, and Essence. Whisk until smooth. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes and up to 1 hour.
Dredge the fish in the rice flour. Working in small batches, submerge the fish in the batter and carefully place into the hot oil. Fry the fish until golden brown on the first side, about 2 minutes, then flip and cook until golden on the second side, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Remove the fish from the fryer and transfer to a wire rack positioned over paper towels or newspaper so that the fish can drain. Season, to taste, with some of the remaining salt, pepper, and Essence. Repeat the process for the remaining of the fish.
Serve the fish and chips with slices of lemon or pepper vinegar.
I also make our tartar sauce using real mayonnaise, a little finely diced onion, and sweet pickle relish. Mix to taste, and refrigerate to blend flavors.

We had some leftovers this time, and I had them for lunch several days later. When warming fried food, you need to use the oven so they will crisp up again. Several minutes in the toaster oven made for a very delicious lunch!

Flavor-full Burger

While having our lunch on a Saturday afternoon a couple of weeks ago, Greg turned on the TV to Food Network. Giada was making some chicken burgers, which I thought sounded delicious, but she mentioned that this recipe could be made using any kind of meat. Well, Greg's blood is red, so when I decided to make these for supper that night, there was no question that we'd be using ground beef. (I will make these again for lunch when Jessi's here, and I'll use turkey.)

Since it's gardening season here, there is fresh rosemary growing in my backyard (you KNOW I love having an herb garden in the backyard!), so I was able to just step outside and clip a couple of stalks for this recipe. I was out of fresh garlic, but had a jar of roasted garlic in the frig that I subbed in. Oh, and only use real mayonnaise, please. No fat-free or salad dressing - it has too much sugar and tastes very different. Real mayo is made with soy oil which is good for you.

Chicken Burgers with Garlic-Rosemary Mayonnaise

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Prep Time: 20 min
Cook Time: 15 min
Level: Easy

Serves: 4 servings
Ingredients:

Mayonnaise - 1 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup chopped fresh rosemary leaves

1 clove garlic, minced
Burgers:

1 pound ground chicken
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 sandwich rolls or burger buns

1/4 cup olive oil

1 cup arugula, divided (I used fresh spinach)
Directions:

For the mayonnaise: In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise, garlic, and rosemary; set aside.

For the burgers:

Preheat a gas or charcoal grill or place a grill pan over medium-high heat.

In a large bowl, add the ground chicken, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and 1/2 of the mayonnaise mixture.

Using clean hands, gently combine the ingredients and form the chicken mixture into 4 patties.

Place the burgers on the grill and cook for about 7 minutes on each side. Transfer to paper towels and let rest for a few minutes.

Brush the cut side of each roll with the olive oil and 1 teaspoon of the mayonnaise mixture. Grill for 1 to 2 minutes until slightly golden.

To assemble the burgers:

Spread a dollop of the remaining mayonnaise mixture on the tops and bottoms of the toasted buns. Place the chicken burgers on the bottom halves of the buns. Top each with 1/4 cup of arugula and finish with the top half of the bun.

Okay, these were SO GOOD they left me craving more. I'm anxious to try them again, using the turkey.