New England Fish + Chips

Beer Battered Onion Rings

  • 4 onions, peeled

  • 12 fl oz Florida beer

  • 1 cup flour

  • 1 tsp garlic powder

  • 2 tsp kosher salt

  • 1 tsp black pepper, ground

  • 1 qt buttermilk

  • 4 qt vegetable oil

  1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

  2. In an 8 qt stock pot over medium heat, bring oil to 375 degrees.

  3. Meanwhile, in a plastic container combine onions and buttermilk and refrigerate for 1 hour.

  4. In a large mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients. Whisk in beer, (making sure not to over mix). Allow batter to rest (about 10-15 minutes) in the refrigerator before frying.

  5. In batches, dip onions into batter and hold above to allow excess to drain. Gently add onions to the oil; fry until golden brown (about 3 minutes per batch). Carefully remove from oil using a slotted spoon and dry on paper towels to remove excess grease. Season with a sprinkle of salt. Place in the oven to keep warm and continue until the frying process is complete.

New England Style Tartar Sauce

  • 2 cups mayonnaise

  • ¼ cup dill gherkins, chopped

  • 2 Tbsp green onions, chopped

  • 2 Tbsp capers, drained and chopped (reserve 1 Tbsp of the juice)

  • 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

  • ½ tsp kosher salt

  • ¼ tsp black pepper, ground

  • 2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

  • 4 dashes Tabasco

  1. In a mixing bowl, whisk all ingredients together and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

  2. Before serving, season to taste with lemon, salt, pepper and Tabasco.

Fried Grouper Cheeks

  • 24 Florida Grouper Cheeks

  • 6 eggs, lightly beaten

  • 2 cups White Lily flour

  • 4 cups bread crumbs

  • 1 Tbsp kosher salt

  • 1 Tbsp black pepper, ground

  • 2 Tbsp Old Bay Seasoning

  • 4 qts vegetable oil

  1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

  2. In an 8 qt stockpot over medium-high heat, bring oil to 425 degrees.

  3. Pat fish dry with paper towels. Season both sides evenly with Old Bay, salt and pepper.

  4. Meanwhile, set up a breading station in 3 separate shallow containers for flour, eggs and breadcrumbs.

  5. Dredge each Grouper Cheek in flour, shake excess. Dip in egg, hold above to allow excess liquid to drain; add to breadcrumbs, coating both sides thoroughly (use your hands to firmly press breadcrumbs into the fillet). Lay breaded Cheeks on a sheet pan and repeat with remaining fish.

  6. Gently add breaded Cheeks to the oil, in batches of 2-3, and fry until golden brown (about 3-4 minutes). Remove from oil using a slotted spoon and dry on paper towels to remove excess grease. Season with a sprinkle of salt. Place in the oven to keep warm and continue until the frying process is completed.

  7. For repeat use, while hot, carefully strain oil through a fine mesh sieve lined with a coffee filter into a large container. Once cooled to room temperature, store in large plastic container with a lid for future use.

John Minas