Fish & Chips -- Beer Batter And Local Cod Make This A Regional Favorite

"NEWSPAPERS ARE VERY useful thing," my English landlady declared one morning as I sat down to corn flakes and coffee in her London B&B. I like to think so, but it's always nice when someone else agrees. Then she mentioned the "insulating properties" of newsprint, and I realized her idea of "usefulness" had nothing to do with news. I had asked her the night before about her favorite way to eat fish and chips. Now she had the answer.

"Eating fish and chips from the newspaper is the ultimate," she decided. "There's really nothing like it."

I had to take her word for it since wrapping fish and chips in newspaper was outlawed a few years back "because of all that hygiene" stuff, Hassan Ziyaeddin, owner of a storefront fish shop near London's Covent Garden, explained to me later that afternoon. Nowadays the fish comes wrapped in newsprint without the print. But in the past 100 years or so that fish and chips has endured as Britain's classic take-out food, little else has changed including its popularity with diet-conscious Yanks who rank deep-fried fillets a notch above hamburgers on the fast-food chain.

"It's a safe food," says Michael King, chef at the Coastal Kitchen, an eclectic Capitol Hill restaurant where only a few items survive a total menu revamp every three months. One of the keepers is fish and chips. It's the meal of choice despite King's efforts to prod customers into experimenting with more daring selections. He recalls whipping up a special ceviche, a marinated seafood dish, to impress out-of-town diners during the Final Four basketball tournament. "It wasn't popular," he sighs. "Everyone wanted the fish and chips."

In Seattle, a take-out order of fish and fries from Spud's on Alki Beach or Ivar's on Lake Union is a summertime ritual. Much of the credit goes to Frank Alger, who opened Spud Fish and Chips on Alki Beach 60 years ago. The Alki shop, now in the third generation of family ownership, is run by Frank's son, Rick Alger; his wife, Terrie; Rick's son, Chris, and daughter and son-in-law Nicky and Mike Roybal.

Good fish and chips starts with a dense, white fish that won't fall apart when dipped in batter and fried. The traditional British fish is the dogfish, sometimes called rock cod. Spud's and many Seattle restaurants use "true cod," a bottom fish found in Pacific waters. At Spud's, skin and fat are first scraped from three-foot long, two-inch wide pieces, which are filleted into flat, 2 1/2-ounce butterfly-shaped pieces (a Scottish touch) and deep fried in vegetable oil. About a year ago, Spud's started leaving the skins on its fries, which are cut in a hand-cranked machine.

"We thought it would be more authentic," says Nicky Roybal, who says health-consciousness has brought on other changes. Spud's stamps "We fry cholesterol free" on its paper take-out menus and the tartar sauce and cole slaw are made with light mayonnaise. "Still," she admits, "there's not much doctoring up you can do with deep-fried fish."

Cooking fish and chips at home is not as messy as it might seem if you take a few precautions. If you don't own a deep fryer, use a large, deep pan filled halfway up with oil. If you don't have a frying thermometer, drop a small piece of batter in the oil; it should sink, then rise to the top and begin bubbling away. Have lots of paper towels folded and ready. Dip the fillets into the oil using tongs or a slotted spoon, and gently move the fish around a few seconds before releasing it in the oil to avoid splattering. Cook both fish and fries in small batches. "Crowding is the enemy of crispness," advises Mark Bittman, the author of "Fish, the Complete Guide to Buying and Cooking."

Malt vinegar and salt are traditional condiments. Bittman suggests a mixture of three parts soy sauce, one part vinegar, a splash of sesame oil and a few drops of chili oil.

Spud's, like many fish shops, keeps its batter recipe a secret. Michael King at the Coastal Kitchen favors beer batters made with local microbrews. The recipe at left uses Pike Place Ale.

Carol Pucci is assistant business editor at the Seattle Times. Teresa Tamura is a Times photographer.

Pike Place Ale Battered Fish and Chips (Serves 4) 4-quart pot or deep fryer with thermostat 2 quarts vegetable oil 6 russet potatoes 2 egg yolks 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup Pike Place Ale 1 cup flour 2 pounds cod or snapper fillets, cut into uniform strips about 1/2-inch thick by 2 inches long. Paper towels

1. Warm oil over low heat to 350 degrees. Peel potatoes and cut into long, thin strips. Set aside in cold water. 2. Whisk egg yolks and salt together. Add ale and slowly add flour until there is a smooth but thick consistency. 3. Chill batter for 15 to 20 minutes while cooking fries. 4. Drain potatoes, transfer to paper towels and dry thoroughly. Fry potatoes in several batches until golden brown and soft in the center (about 5 minutes). Place chips on a platter lined with paper towels and keep warm. 5. Add fish strips to beer batter, making sure to thoroughly coat each piece. Using a slotted spoon or long tongs, drop fish into hot oil. Fry three or four pieces at a time. Cook five to seven minutes until puffy and golden brown. Drain fish on paper towels and serve with chips.