Fish and Chips
intro
Crispy golden beer-battered cod and fluffy double-fried chips, served with tangy tartar sauce and malt vinegar: the timeless, beloved British pub comfort classic.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep the chips first: Place
Prep the chips first: Place the cut 1.5cm-thick russet potato sticks into a large bowl of ice-cold water, and leave to soak for 20 minutes to leach out excess surface starch. Drain fully, then pat every chip completely dry with clean paper towels to prevent dangerous oil splatter during frying.
Blanch the chips for the
Blanch the chips for the first fry: Pour 1.5L of vegetable oil into a deep, heavy-bottomed pot or deep fryer, and heat to 130°C (265°F) over medium heat. Carefully lower dried chips into the oil in 2 equal batches to avoid dropping oil temperature, frying for 6 minutes per batch until chips are soft and pale (no golden color). Remove with a slotted spoon, drain on a wire rack set over a baking sheet, and leave to rest for 10 minutes.
Prep the fish and beer
Prep the fish and beer batter: Pat the 600g cod portions completely dry with paper towels, then season all sides with 1/2 teaspoon sea salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Spread 3 tablespoons of reserved all-purpose flour on a shallow plate, and lightly dredge each cod fillet, shaking off excess flour. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together 200g all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, remaining 1.5 teaspoons sea salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Slowly pour in 250ml cold lager beer, whisking only just until combined (small lumps are desirable; do not overmix) to form a thick, coating batter.
Second fry the chips for
Second fry the chips for crispness: Turn the stovetop heat up to medium-high to bring oil temperature to 180°C (355°F). Add blanched chips in 2 batches, frying for 3-4 minutes per batch until deep golden, crispy on the outside, and fluffy inside. Remove with a slotted spoon, transfer back to the wire rack, and sprinkle with a small pinch of sea salt while hot. Keep cooked chips warm in a 100°C (210°F) oven while you prepare the fish.
Fry the battered fish: Maintain
Fry the battered fish: Maintain oil temperature at a steady 180°C (355°F), adjusting stovetop heat as needed. Working one fillet at a time, dip floured cod fully into the cold beer batter, let excess batter drip off for 2 seconds, then carefully lower the fillet into the oil away from your body to avoid splashes. Fry 2 fillets per batch for 7-8 minutes total, turning once halfway through cooking, until the batter is puffed, deep golden, and crispy, and fish reaches an internal temperature of 63°C (145°F). Remove from oil, drain on the wire rack alongside chips, and rest for 1 minute.
Serve immediately: Divide hot crispy
Serve immediately: Divide hot crispy chips and fried fish evenly between 4 serving plates or paper-lined baskets. Serve each portion with 30g (2 tablespoons) tartar sauce, 1 lemon wedge, and 1 tablespoon of malt vinegar for drizzling over the top.
Tips
2.Do not overmix the beer batter: small lumps are ideal, as overmixing develops wheat gluten that will make the fried crust tough and dense instead of light, crisp, and puffy.
3.Never overcrowd the frying pot: adding too much food at once drops oil temperature rapidly, leading to greasy, oil-soaked fish and chips instead of light, crisp results. Fry in small, consistent batches.
As someone who’s still pretty new to cooking (read: I mostly burn ramen) I was nervous to try a medium difficulty recipe, but the steps were super straightforward! Only messed up the first chip batch because I overcrowded the fryer, but the rest came out perfect. My roommates lost their minds when they saw what I made.
Took me a minute to get the oil temp right (kept dropping too low when I added the fillets) but once I nailed 375F these came out SO good. The chips came out extra crispy too when I followed the double fry method, who knew that trick made such a big difference? Brought a batch to my buddy’s potluck over the weekend and people were begging for the recipe.
I grew up eating catfish fries down in Georgia so I was a little skeptical about cod, but y’all this batter is so good I even used it on catfish fillets last night! Added a little extra Old Bay to the batter for a kick and it was chef’s kiss. My whole extended family raved about it at our Sunday dinner.
Overall really tasty, but my batter kept sliding off the fish when I tried to fry it. I patted the fish dry like the recipe said so I’m not sure what went wrong? Flavor was great when it stayed on, though! The chips were perfect.
OMG this beer batter is a total game changer! I made this for our Friday family fish fry last night and even my super picky 8 year old asked for seconds. The crust stayed crispy for 20 minutes even after we sat down to eat, no soggy mess at all! Used cod like the recipe said, paired it with my homemade tartar and it tasted exactly like the pub fish and chips we get on our coast trips. 10/10 will make again.
Game. Changer. Used a local citrus IPA I had in the fridge instead of lager on a whim and it added the best subtle zing to the crust. Served it with malt vinegar and coleslaw on the side, my wife said it’s better than the restaurant we went to for our anniversary. Win for dad dinner night!
Made this for meal prep this week and was worried the fish wouldn’t hold up, but it reheats perfectly in the air fryer at 400F for 5 minutes! Crispy just like day one, no sogginess. Saved me so much money instead of grabbing takeout fish and chips on my lunch break.
So excited to try this recipe! Quick question before I make it for my son who has celiac — has anyone had luck swapping in gluten-free all purpose flour for the regular flour, plus a gluten free beer? He’s been begging for crispy fish and chips forever and I want it to turn out perfect for him.
I halved the recipe for date night last night and it was such a hit! My girlfriend said it’s the best meal I’ve ever cooked for her. I added a little paprika and garlic powder to the batter for extra depth, and served it with lemon wedges and that dill tartar sauce recipe linked at the bottom. Will absolutely be making this on repeat.
Made this after a long day of hiking last weekend with the trout we caught that morning! The batter was light enough that it didn’t overpower the delicate trout flavor, and we fried the chips over a camp stove outside. Tasted better than any restaurant meal I’ve ever had, 10/10 would make again with fresh caught fish.