Battered Chicken or Fish

(a Clone of Long John Silver's™ Chicken Planks

or Fish)1 1/2 lbs chicken tenders or a mild,white fish (such as cod)Salt to tasteFlour for dusting

For the Batter:

1 c all-purpose flour1 1/2 TBSP cornstarch1 TBSP corn flour (not corn meal)1 1/2 tsp table salt1/2 tsp Accent (MSG), optional1/2 tsp onion powder1/4 tsp garlic powder1/4 tsp paprika1/4 tsp black pepper1 tsp baking powder1/4 tsp baking soda1/4 tsp cream of tartar1 c water plus more as needed1 tsp vinegarOil for fryingDry the chicken tenders (or fish) well. Salt the chicken tenders (or fish) and set aside. For the batter,whisk all of the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl. Add 1 cup of water and vinegar and whisksmooth. Set aside.Add about 3" of oil to a medium pot over medium-high heat. The pot needs to be deep enough to holdthe oil plus leave plenty of room for the oil to expand when frying. Heat the oil to 350F. While the oil isheating, preheat the oven to 200F.When the oil is approaching 350F, whisk the batter again. If it has thickened too much, add anothertablespoon of water and whisk. Toss 2 to 3 pieces of chicken (or fish) in some flour (dredge the numberof pieces that will fit in your pot without crowding it). Shake off all excess flour. Dip a piece of chicken(or fish) in the batter, allow most of the excess to drip off, then slowly add to the hot oil. Repeat withthe remaining piece(s). Fry until deep brown. Transfer the chicken to a wire rack inserted into a sheetpan and place the sheet pan in the oven to keep warm until all of the chicken has been fried. Allow theoil to return to 350F before adding more pieces.