Chef Paul Liebrandt – Fish and Chips – NYCE 2016

Chef Paul Liebrandt and Edward F. Nesta
"Let’s Make Some Fish & Chips"

2016 marked my fifth year as a student at the New York Culinary Experience in New York, and what I especially appreciate is the high caliber of chefs it attracts each year. As someone who has spent substantial time in England and who loves fish and chips, I thought whom better to learn the art of making fish and chips than from British chef, Paul Liebrandt.

Chef Paul Liebrandt grew up in London, England and honed his culinary craft working with top toques at esteemed restaurants in Europe. His European star-studded resume includes working with Chef Marco Pierre White at his Michelin three-star restaurant, with Chef Raymond Blanc at Le Manor Aux Quat’ Saisons in Oxford, with Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten at Vong in London, and with Chef Pierre Gagnaire at his three-star restaurant in Paris, France.

From Europe, he moved to New York City in 1999 and worked for David Bouley at Bouley Bakery, followed by Atlas restaurant, and Papillion, worked for high profile clients including Lord Rothschild and HRH Prince Andrew, worked at Gilt, and in 2008, opened his first restaurant, Corton, which received two Michelin stars and was nominated as Best New Restaurant in the United States by the James Beard Foundation. In 2013 Liebrandt opened his second restaurant The Elm in Brooklyn, New York.

A well-rounded creative chef, he was featured in the 2011 HBO documentary, "A matter of taste- serving up Paul Liebrandt," which received an Emmy nomination, and won Best Documentary at the James Beard Awards in 2012. He also published his first book, "To the Bone" in December 2013.

Chef Liebrandt with a whole turbot

During the 2-hour and 15-minute class, I had the opportunity to learn from a master chef how to make Tartare of Yellowfin Tuna and Diver Scallops Seasoned with American Caviar, and my personal favorite, Fish and Chips.

How to Fillet a Turbot
Hands-on learning also provided the opportunity for our class to learn many special techniques including how to fillet a turbot (watch the video clip at YouTube – https://youtu.be/fr8YI6XKtls).

One of the many interesting tips I learned from Chef Paul Liebrandt is that there is a difference between female and male fish, besides the obvious one, and that is that female fish with eggs have a higher fat content which means that cooking time will be shorter. It is important to learn to distinguish the difference by texture, feel, and look, so that you can adjust cooking times accordingly.

Chef Liebrandt cutting out turbot fillets

Chef Liebrandt also noted that though we tend to see cod and haddock used for fish and chips, chef likes to use turbot for his fish and chips as it is not as fatty and thus when deep fried it cooks more evenly and the result is moist and flavorful.

Turbot Fillet skin removed

Tips from Chef Paul Liebrandt:

Use a mixture of all purpose flour and rice flour for the fish batter.

Chips:

The potato "chips" (fries) need to be cut at an even length and thickness so that they cook evenly throughout the following process. The technique chef had us use was to square your potato by cutting the top, bottom, and the sides, then cut the remaining center into equal 3" long and ¼" thick pieces to create the chips.

For chips with crispy textures and creamy interiors, you need to: first rinse the potatoes, then add them to boiling water for 6-8 minutes until soft, let them cool for at least 10 minutes, chill them in the refrigerator, deep fry them in oil at 270˚F (132˚C) and note that when you add the chilled chips that the oil will drop to the desired 250˚F (121˚C) and leave in the oil for 4-6 minutes , let them cool, refrigerate, and then for the final deep fry bring your oil to 390˚F (199˚C) and due to the chilled potatoes the oil will drop to the desired 375˚F (191˚C) and leave in the oil for 6-8 minutes to create a memorable crust. Although multiple steps, the end result will be well worth the extra effort.

When making the chips, you can process the chips all the way through to the final deep fry process earlier in the same day or even the day before and leave them in the refrigerator before cooking them the final time.

Chef Paul Liebrandt – NYCE 2016 Menu

Tartare of Yellowfin Tuna and Diver Scallops
Seasoned with American Caviar
Fish and Chips with Lime Pickle Aioli

Suggested Wine Pairing: Excelsior San Angelo Pinot Grigio

Chef Paul Liebrandt graciously shares his Fish and Chips recipe from the 2016 New York Culinary Experience.

Fish & Chips
Yield: 8 Portions

Beer Battered Turbot Ingredients

Method: Combine all dry ingredients before adding half the lager, do not over mix as the you want to keep the bubbles in the lager, fold in the remaining lager, strain into siphon container and charge with two number 2 cartridges. Refrigerate and hold for 2 hours.

Chef Liebrandt stirring batter

In a deep pot, carefully heat groundnut oil to 415° F (213° C), lightly season the fish with rice flour, which should be at room temp. Discharge batter in to a cold bowl, dip the fish into the batter, shaking off the excess and gently place in the oil for 3-4 minutes, drizzle a little of the batter atop the fish whilst frying.

Fry until light caramel colored and internal temperature of the fish is 104° F (40° C). Remove and drain fish on a paper towel, internal temperature will rise to 113° F (45° C). Season lightly with sea salt and pepper.

Fish ready for batter

Lime Pickle Aioli Ingredients

Method: In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients using a whisk.

Chips Ingredients

Method: Wash and peel the potatoes, cut them in to chips about 1.5cm thick, and rinse in cold water for 1 minute to rinse off starch.

In a large pot of water, season 10 grams (0.35 ounce) of salt to 1000 grams (35 ounces) water; cook the chips at a gentle simmer until just holding together (6-8 minutes).

Chips being prepared

Remove and allow to cool in a single layer in the refrigerator to form a crust from the air. Heat the groundnut oil to 250° F (121° C) and place the chips in to the oil until they take on a dry appearance and are very slightly colored (4-6 minutes). Depending how cold the potatoes are you may need to heat the oil to 270˚F (132˚C) as the oil will drop in temperature when added to the oil.

Remove and lay them in a single layer on a cooling rack and put in the refrigerator until cold.

Reheat the groundnut oil to 375° F (191° C) and then cook the chips for 6-8 minutes until golden and crisp. Remove chips from oil and season with Maldon Sea Salt. Depending how cold the potatoes are you may need to heat the oil to 390˚F (199˚C) as the oil will drop in temperature when added to the oil.

Dinner is Served!!

Want more information on the next NYCE? For more information about the New York Culinary Experience, contact Stephanie Fray at nyce@nymag.com or +1-646-314-4413.

Location and Information

The International Culinary Center
462 Broadway
New York, New York 10013
United States
Toll-Free Telephone:+1-888-324-2433
Email: info@internationalculinarycenter.com
Website:www.InternationalCulinaryCenter.com

Follow The International Culinary Center on Facebook at www.facebook.com/InternationalCulinaryCenter

Follow Luxury Experience on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LuxuryExperience to see more photos and watch video clips.

Follow Luxury Experience on Twitter at www.twitter.com/LuxuryPair

©September 2016. Luxury Experience. http://www.luxuryexperience.com/. All rights reserved.