Fee and Chee Friday

Of all the things I miss about not living in Newfoundland anymore, one of the most missed are Friday's in St. John's. To me, the city gets a whole working for the weekend vibe to it as people get excited for a night out on the town and one, maybe two good feeds of fish and chips, or as the townies say, fee and chee.Chicago and New York may be famous for pizza and hot dogs, and Montreal may have its smoked meat, but St. John's is the place for the best fish and chips.The fish is always cod (best if its fresh of course), and the chips are always hand cut and fried to perfection. Traditionally, fish and chips is served with malt vinegar, and unlike across the pond where mushy peas is an accompaniment, here dressing (buttery stuffing with minced onion and dried savory) and gravy are standard fare. A few peas and some good tartar sauce never seem to go astray either.Wash it down with a cold brew or a can of pineapple soda and you're in fried heaven.

For some, their fee and chee fix comes early, with an over sized lunch at Ches's, The Big R or Scampers, for others it comes in the happy hour variety with a few pints down at the Duke (The Duke of Duckworth has arguably the best fish and chips in St. John's) or take out from Leo's (also outstanding). Finally, many get their fix after making home in the early hours of Saturday morning after a night on George Street. Luckily places like Ches's and Buddy's are open late, and deliver.

If you aren't fortunate enough to live in Newfoundland and have a hankering for some fee and chee, don't despair as making it at home is not all that hard. It's easier if you have a deep fryer, but if not, an oil filled wok or pot works too (you'll have to be very careful). Here's my recipe for a beer battered fish and chips, whereby I use a dark, flavorful Quid Vidi 1892 Traditional Ale. Just season your portions of fish wit a little salt and pepper, dredge in some flour (will help the batter stick to the fish) and coast in the batter, and cook until golden brown in 375 degree oil.

Beer Battered Fish and Chips
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup beer
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- pinch of salt

Whisk all ingredients together until smooth. I like a thin batter. To get the desired consistency I dip my fingers in the batter and let it drip off. I do a count on how long it take to see my skin through the batter. I'm looking for a count between 1 and 2 seconds.