Fish and Chips... lots of chips

I am so in love.
Perfectly golden and satisfying with plenty of cozy factor to keep me coming back for more.
I am writing about my husband, of course.
A mark in the history of my love for Stephen occurred yesterday evening, and I am still giddy from it. As we began the discussion of how to spend the fantastically dreary fall night, he suggested Fish and Chips and a Christmas movie! Honestly, I continue to marvel at the fabulous man I married. Never did I think the day would come when my husband would initiate a Christmas movie, and being that it is not yet Halloween, I have not even been pressuring Christmas spirit! The combination of rain, cold, and early darkness brought out the carol in him; he and Bing sang us through slicing a bag of Yukon Gold potatoes. Yep, I'm still giddy.

aren't they sweet?

A few months back I purchased a frying thermometer, and I must admit the kitchen gadget has been a good investment. Having the oil at a hot enough temp gives a nice crisp texture.  If the oil is not hot enough the fried food will be soggy, and if the oil is too hot it will smoke and give a less then tasty flavor to your food. Without a thermometer, I used to use the end of a wooden chopstick to test the temp. If little bubbles came quickly out of the bottom of the chopstick, the oil was ready. Not exactly science but it worked ok. The thermometer works better, I admit.
Another tip to frying success is the brown bag trick. One of my dearest friends, a kindred soul perhaps, taught me the brown bag trick. This came about during an amazing session of kitchen experimentation last summer. After taking an edible plant class, she called and asked if I would be willing to make Wisteria fritters with her. How easy is it to understand why I love this friend? While we were frying, I mentioned that I did not have any paper towels, and with all her resourceful wit, she grabbed a brown grocery sack to hold the hot fritters. I had never seen that trick before. She said that is the way people cool fried food in the mountains where she was born; another twist on the days of wrapping fish and chips in newspaper. Please do yourself a favor and the next time you fry, use a brown sack to hold the cooling fried goods. The items do not stick and the bag is ultra absorbent. Maybe not the cleanest tool in the kitchen, but that aside, it is quite functional.

Stephen salted as I pulled shiny hot chips from the pot. I pan fried a gorgeous piece of Alaskan Salmon, and we dined like the classiest of commoners.
On top of all that goodness, we watched Elf. I find it amazing how funny a grown man in yellow tights with a maple syrup addiction can be.
In case you would like to fry some chips, this is what I did. These chips are slightly soft. If you want them to be crisp, fry twice like Pomme Frites.

French Fries or Chips across the Pond serves 4
8 small yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed but not peeled
4 cups of canola or peanut oil for frying
large pot
plenty of sea or kosher salt
black pepper

1. heat oil to 350. slice potatoes into even 1/4 inch strips.
2. drop potatoes strips into hot oil, carefully. I did three batches of frying to avoid over crowding the pan.
3. fry potatoes for 13 minutes or until golden brown and darker brown on the edges.
4. drain on brown sack, of course, and salt and pepper to taste
5. enjoy