Fish and Chips
intro
Shatteringly crisp beer-battered cod paired with fluffy, salt-kissed thick-cut chips, the iconic British pub comfort food perfect for casual summer family meals.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep and parboil chips
Cut peeled Maris Piper potatoes into uniform 1.5cm thick sticks, rinse under cold running water for 5 minutes to wash away surface starch. Place chips in a pot of cold, lightly salted water, bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat, then simmer for 4 minutes until edges are tender but not mushy. Drain fully, shake gently in the colander to rough up chip edges, then spread on a wire rack to air dry for 10 minutes.
Heat frying oil
Pour 1.5 liters of neutral vegetable oil into a deep, heavy-bottomed stock pot or dedicated deep fryer. Clip a candy/deep fry thermometer to the pot edge, then heat oil over medium heat until it reaches a steady 160°C (320°F), adjusting stovetop heat as needed to maintain consistent temperature.
First fry par-cook chips
Working in 2 equal batches to avoid overcrowding the pot, lower dried parboiled chips into the 160°C oil using a slotted metal spoon. Fry each batch for 5 minutes, until chips are pale gold and tender when pierced with a fork but not yet crispy. Remove chips from oil, drain on a paper-towel lined wire rack, and set aside temporarily.
Mix batter, prep fish
Pat cod fillets completely dry with paper towels, season all sides with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, then cut into 4 equal 150g portions. In a wide mixing bowl, whisk together 150g plain flour, 50g cornstarch, 1 teaspoon baking powder, remaining 1.5 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Slowly stir in 200ml ice-cold lager, mixing gently until batter is smooth with the thickness of heavy cream; do not overmix, as small lumps create a lighter crust.
Fry battered cod
Increase oil temperature to 190°C (375°F). One portion at a time, dip cod fully into batter, let excess batter drip off for 2 seconds, then carefully lower into hot oil away from your body to avoid splatters. Fry 2 pieces per batch for 6-7 minutes, turning once halfway through cooking, until batter is deep golden and crisp, and fish reaches an internal temperature of 63°C (145°F). Remove fish, drain on the wire rack, and season lightly with a pinch of salt.
Finish chips and serve
Keep oil held at 190°C. Return par-fried chips to the oil in 2 batches, frying for 2-3 minutes per batch until deep golden, ultra-crisp, and crunchy at the edges. Drain chips on the wire rack, toss with a light sprinkle of fine salt, then divide fish and chips evenly between 4 plates. Serve each portion with 30g tartar sauce and malt vinegar for drizzling.
Tips
2.Never overcrowd the frying pot, as this drops oil temperature rapidly, leading to soggy, grease-soaked batter and chips instead of light, crisp results.
3.Use ice-cold beer straight from the fridge for the batter: the sudden temperature shock when cold batter hits hot oil creates an extra light, puffy, crispy coating.
OMG this was the best fish and chips I’ve ever made at home! The batter got so perfectly crispy, no sogginess even after I let it sit on the wire rack for a few minutes while I finished the fries. My husband and two picky kids devoured every single bite, even asked for seconds! I used cod like the recipe said and a cheap light lager I had in the fridge, total game changer for our Friday night fish fry tradition. 10/10 will make again!
Tried this for my roommates last night for our weekly guys’ night and everyone went crazy for it! Only issue is my batter kept sliding off the first two fillets, what did I do wrong? I patted the fish dry like the recipe said but maybe my oil wasn’t hot enough? Ended up turning the heat up and the rest came out great, but wasted a couple pieces early on. Still gave it 4 stars because the ones that worked were better than the pub down the street!
Has anyone tried making this with a gluten free beer and GF flour blend? My son has celiac and I’ve been hunting for a crispy GF fish and chips recipe that doesn’t taste like cardboard. This looks perfect but I don’t want to waste a bunch of fish if it doesn’t hold up!
Made this on my back porch deep fryer for a neighborhood potluck last weekend and people were begging for the recipe! The batter has the perfect amount of crunch, and the hint of garlic and paprika in it is *chef’s kiss*. I used halibut instead of cod because it was on sale at the grocery store, worked like a charm. Will absolutely be adding this to my regular cookout rotation!
Quick question – does this reheat well? I’d love to make a big batch on Sunday for weeknight dinners, but I’m worried the crust will get soggy in the fridge. Any tips for reheating if it does work?
Y’all, I was so skeptical about beer batter because every time I’ve tried it before it’s been super heavy and greasy, but this was light, crispy, and not greasy at all! I used a local IPA from the brewery down the street and it added such a great subtle hoppy flavor that paired so well with the tartar sauce. My dad said it’s better than the fish and chips we get on our annual beach trip, that’s the highest praise possible!
Okay as someone who can barely boil water without messing it up, I cannot believe I pulled this off! The instructions were so clear, I didn’t even have to google anything. My only note is that the 45 minute cook time is pretty accurate if you prep everything first, but it took me almost an hour and 15 because I was moving slow and didn’t have my station set up ahead of time. Still came out perfect, my girlfriend was so impressed!
Has anyone tested this in an air fryer instead of deep frying? I try not to deep fry stuff super often because of the mess, but I’m dying to try that crispy crust. Would spraying it with a lot of oil work?
I’ve been making fish and chips for my grandkids for over 40 years for our weekly Sunday dinner, and I have to say this batter recipe is now my go-to! I added a little extra salt and a splash of malt vinegar to the batter like I always do, and it came out perfectly crisp every single time. The grandkids ate so many pieces I thought they’d have stomach aches! 10/10, will be passing this recipe along to my daughter too.
Wait why have I never thought to add a little old bay to the beer batter? Total game changer! I made this last night with some homemade coleslaw on the side and it felt like I was sitting at a seaside pub in New England. Next time I’m going to add a little extra cayenne for a tiny kick, can’t wait!
Solid recipe! I used cod and a non-alcoholic beer because I don’t drink, and it still got super crispy. It’s a little higher calorie than my usual weeknight meals but perfect for a Friday treat after a long week of work and workouts. Paired it with some roasted broccoli instead of chips to lighten it up a little, still slapped.
Tried this last night and I have no clue where I went wrong. My batter was super lumpy (I thought lumps were okay?) and my fries were undercooked even after I fried them twice. Maybe my oil temp was off? I don’t have a thermometer so I just guessed. The flavor was good but the texture was off, I’ll probably try again once I get a candy thermometer so I can get the temp right.