Saint George Fish & Chips

History

If you want to rehearse your English accent and cry out the Shakespearian “God for Harry, England, and Saint George!” then this is your day. Saint George is the patron saint of several countries, including Ethiopia, Venice, Catalonia, but he is most famously known as England’s saint. Just take a look at the English flag, and you will see the very red cross that Saint George is said to have borne on his armor.

As Saint George’s legends have circulated, his popularity grew to the point where his day ranked as a Major Double feast during the fifteenth century. Citizens were expected to spend the holiday in church and off of work. The day held such great significance that it even rivaled the pomp of Christmas!

After the Acts of Union between England and Scotland in 1707, Saint George’s day lost much of its popularity, but it has been making a comeback in recent years. Because of the historic connection between St. George and England, Christians from all around the world celebrate Saint George’s day with classic English cuisine. Some make themed desserts featuring St. George’s cross. Others dance, sing, and perform in dragon-slaying reenactments.

We hope that you enjoy this opportunity to learn more about this faithful saint while enjoying a mouth-watering English classic: fish and chips!

Fish & Chips Recipe

This recipe serves four people, but we encourage you to multiply the recipe and have a fish cookout to celebrate the day with friends! The fish-frying process may go quickly with a deep-fryer, or you can simply fry up the fish on the stove in a pot of oil. Do be careful not to burn yourself by letting the fillets down gently into the hot oil.

Oven-Baked Chips

Ingredients

6 large russet potatoes

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon garlic powder

sea salt and black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Wash and scrub the potatoes, leaving the skin on. Cut potatoes into fries.
3. Let potatoes soak in cold water for at least 20 minutes. Remove from water and dry very well.
4. Toss the fries with oil, garlic powder, sea salt, and black pepper.
5. Bake the fries for 20 minutes. Then turn the oven to “broil” and cook fries 5 minutes more or until crispy.

Fish

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour, plus extra for dredging

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ cup corn starch

sea salt and black pepper, to taste

⅔ cup dark beer, cold

⅔ cup sparkling water, cold

4 fish fillets

vegetable oil, for frying

Instructions

1. Combine the flour, baking powder, cornstarch, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.
2. Slowly add the cold beer and sparkling water to the dry ingredients, whisking with a fork until the batter is smooth. Be sure to use the batter immediately after mixing.
3. In another large flat bowl, add some extra flour for dredging the fish.
4. Cut each of the four fish fillets in half. Blot the fish to remove excess moisture.
5. Dredge the fish thoroughly in the flour-only bowl and shake off the excess.
6. Dip the fish into the beer batter to coat all sides evenly. Allow some of the excess batter to drip off the fillets.
7. Fill a medium-sized skillet with about an inch of vegetable oil. Heat the oil to 350°F – 375°F, using a thermometer to measure the temperature. When the oil is to temperature, carefully place the fish into the oil.
8. Fry the fish for about 2 minutes on each side until the fillet is nicely golden brown.
9. Carefully remove the fish with a tongs or slotted spoon, letting the oil drip off, then place the fried fish on paper towels for a few minutes.
10. Serve immediately!