Here it is! If you don’t feel like going to a fish and chips shop or to a restaurant, there is no reason why you can’t still try this dish. Recreate the perfect British Fish & Chips from the comfort of your home!
Ingredients (for 4 people)
For the fish
- 1 cup plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 1/4 cups very cold light beer
- extra flour for dredging – chilled
- 1 1/2 pounds fresh cod or haddock – cut into 4 pieces
- Light in Colour Olive Oil for frying
- Beef tallow (for the best traditional flavor
For the Chips
- 4 large Russet potatoes or other high starch/low moisture potato – peeled, sliced thickly and put in a large bowl of cold water until ready to fry
- salt for sprinkling
- Light in Colour Olive Oil for frying
- British Malt Vinegar – for serving
Note before making: Beer contributes flavor to the batter but it’s the carbonation in the beer that is key to achieving a light and crispy batter. If you prefer not to use beer you can substitute fizzy seltzer water.
Steps
For the Chips
- Heat the oven to 200 F
- Heat the oil in a deep fryer or a large heavy pan
- Thoroughly drain the sliced potatoes and blot them with paper towels to remove excess water.
- Once the oil is very hot (325 F), carefully fry the potatoes in small batches to avoid overcrowding and fry for 2-3 minutes until pale and softened. Use a slotted spoon to remove them from the oil and let them cool to room temperature.
- Increase the temperature of the oil (to 375 F approx).
- Carefully add the fries again, frying in small batches, until they are golden brown and crispy, another 2-3 minutes.
- Remove the fries with a slotted spoon and place them on a baking sheet or roasting rack, sprinkle with salt while they’re still very hot, and place them in the warmed oven while you’re frying the fish.
For the Fish
- Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
- Pour in the cold beer and whisk until smooth (use the batter immediately, do not let it rest for a while).
- In another large flat bowl add some extra flour for dredging.
- Blot the fish with paper towels to remove excess moisture.
- Thoroughly dredge all sides of the fish in the flour and shake off the excess.
- Dip the fish into the beer batter to thoroughly coat all sides, allowing some of the excess batter to drip off (but not too much!)
- In a deep fryer or medium-sized skillet pour the oil to a depth of about an inch.
- Heat the oil to (between 350 F and 375 F) – you can use a candy thermometer if you have one.
- Once it has reached the ideal temperature, carefully drop the fish into the oil to fry.
- Fry the fish for 5-8 minutes or until nicely golden. If using a frying pan fry the fish for about 2 minutes on each side until nicely golden on both sides.
- Remove the fish with a slotted spoon, letting the oil drop off, then place the fried fish on paper towels for a few seconds and serve immediately. ( The batter will lose its crispiness if you wait too long to serve)
- Serve with the chips, a sprinkling of quality British Malt Vinegar and if desired a serving of authentic British Mushy Peas. Although not traditional in the UK, you can also eat the fish with tartar sauce.