Olympic Fish and Chips!

In honor of the Olympic games, I must talk about Britain's most iconic meal, Fish and Chips! The story goes that fish and chips were first sold by John Lees in 1863. He even hung a sign in the shop window proclaiming, "This is the First Fish and Chip Shop in the world." However, some say the first fish and chip shop was opened in London by Joseph Malin in 1860. In addition, with references in Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist, referring to "fried fish warehouses," and commented on in a letter written by Thomas Jefferson, dates them back even further! Either way, they are delicious and one of my favorite indulgences!

Traditionally, fish and chips are wrapped in newspaper, served with malt vinegar, lemon wedges, and mushy peas. To make mushy peas, just cook a bag of frozen peas in boiling water until very tender, about 5-10 minutes, drain them, then blend them up in a food processor with a tablespoon of butter and enough cream to make them "mushy," season with salt and pepper. If you prefer tartar sauce, check out my previously posted recipe for Homemade Tartar Sauce! It's really good!

Fish and Chips

Serves 4

Ingredients:

Vegetable oil, for frying

3 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut into fries

2 cups rice flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

3 teaspoons salt, plus more for seasoning

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning

14 ounces of beer or soda water

1 large egg, lightly beaten

2, 8-ounce cod or haddock fillets, cut in 1/2 on an angle

1/2 cup rice flour, for dredging

Malt vinegar and lemon wedges, for serving

Directions:

Heat 3 inches of oil in a deep fryer (or heavy skillet) to 325 degrees.

Put the potatoes in a fryer basket (or use a fry strainer) and lower into the oil. Fry the chips for 2 to 3 minutes, they should not be crisp or fully cooked at this point. Remove the chips to paper towels to drain.

Turn the temperature up to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper. Combine the beer and egg and pour into the flour mixture. Whisk to a smooth batter. Spread the rice flour on a plate. Dredge the fish pieces in the rice flour, tap off any excess, and then dip them into the batter.

Carefully lower the battered fish into the hot oil. Be careful! Fry the fish for about 4-5 minutes, or until crispy and brown. Remove to paper towels to drain. Now add the par-cooked fries to the oil and cook until crispy, about 4-5 minutes. Remove to paper towels to drain. When the fish and chips are done, season with salt. Serve with lemon wedges and malt vinegar.

This recipe is adapted from Tyler Florence, and was the best out of all I tried, even better than Jamie Oliver's.

Blueberry Bliss

Concluding my "Inside Bbq Menu," consisting of Spicy Chicken with Avocado Sauce and Tri-Color Salad with Lime-Honey Vinaigrette, I made Tyler Florence's "Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars." I love cheesecake! I love blueberries! This simple recipe doesn't disappoint, with it's creamy, lemony, cinnamony, blueberryness, it's total blueberry bliss! Just remember that it needs to be refrigerated at least 3 hours before serving, so plan ahead!

Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars

Makes 10 bars

Ingredients:

For the Base

Butter, for greasing

2 tablespoons sugar

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

9 graham crackers, (the whole cracker, not individual pieces)

1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted

For the Filling

16 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

2 eggs

2 lemons, zested and juiced

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries

Powdered sugar, for dusting

Directions:

For the Base

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Grease the bottom of a 9"x9" baking pan with butter. Then place 2 pieces of parchment paper, folded to fit, in each direction of the pan, like an X shape, pressing down at the corners. (This makes it easy to lift out the cheesecake after it's cooked and cooled.) In a food processor, process the sugar, cinnamon, and graham crackers until you have the texture of bread crumbs. Add the melted butter and pulse a couple of times to fully incorporate. Pour into the lined baking pan and gently pat down with the base of a glass. Bake in the oven for 12 minutes until golden. When done, set aside to cool slightly.

For the Filling

Add the cream cheese, eggs, lemon zest, lemon juice, and sugar to the food processor and mix until well combined. It should have a smooth consistency. Pour onto the cooled base and then cover with the blueberries. They will sink slightly but should still be half exposed (as the cake bakes they will sink a little more and break down). 

Bake in the oven for 35 minutes or until the center only slightly jiggles. Remove from the oven and cool completely before refrigerating for at least 3 hours. Once set, remove from the pan using the parchment lining and slice into 10 rectangular bars. Dust with powdered sugar and serve! 

Recipe adapted from Tyler Florence.

Aztec Legend and Tri-Color Salad

Continuing my "Inside Bbq Menu," I made "Tri-Color Salad with Lime-Honey Vinaigrette." I love this salad, with it's fresh green lettuce, juicy slices of tomato, slices of creamy avocado, crumbles of queso fresco cheese, all topped off with a sweet and tangy vinaigrette, all the colors of the flag of Mexico!

The flag of Mexico consists of three equal vertical stripes of green, white, and red, pretty typical of other flags. However, in the center of the flag is the Mexican coat of arms. According to Aztec legend, the Aztec people, who were a nomadic tribe, were wandering throughout Mexico, looking for a sign of the precise spot to build their empire. Their war god, Huitzilopochtli, had commanded them to find an eagle perched atop a prickly pear cactus (aka., nopal), growing on a rock that rises from a lake. After 200 years of wandering, they finally saw an eagle, with a snake, on a nopal, on a small island in the swampy Lake Texcoco. Here they built their capital, Tenochtitlan, modern day Mexico City! Well, you don't have to wait 200 years to enjoy this fabulous salad, which pairs well with Mexican food, or any other spicy cuisine, even barbecue!

Tri-Color Salad with Lime-Honey Vinaigrette

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

For the Vinaigrette

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

2 tablespoons white distilled vinegar

1/2 teaspoon honey or brown sugar (or more, to taste)

1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher or sea salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

5 tablespoons canola oil

5 tablespoons olive oil

For the Salad

2 Boston lettuce heads, leaves rinsed and drained

1 pound round tomatoes, about 2, quartered, seeded, and sliced

1 large avocado, halved, pitted, meat scooped out and sliced

8 ounces queso fresco cheese, may substitute farmers cheese

Optional ingredients: scallions, jicama, thinly sliced radishes (as I did here), etc.

Directions:

For the Vinaigrette

Mix the lime juice, mustard, honey, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl and thoroughly mix with a whisk or fork. (Or use a food processor, blender, or lidded jar.) Slowly pour in the canola oil and olive oil, mixing continuously until emulsified. Use right away or store, covered, in the refrigerator. If refrigerated, mix thoroughly before using to re-emulsify.

For the Salad

Place the lettuce leaves and tomatoes in a salad bowl. Add some of the vinaigrette and gently toss, so that the salad is moist, but not soaked. Place the avocados and crumbled cheese on top. Drizzle some more vinaigrette on top and serve!

Recipe adapted from patismexicantable.