Crisp, golden battered fish with a light, crunchy coating and tender, flaky fish inside, served alongside twice-fried chips that are crisp on the outside and fluffy in the center. Serve with tartar sauce, lemon wedges and malt vinegar for a classic British-style fish and chips dinner.
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| Fish and Chips |
Servings: 4
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
For the Chips
- 2 pounds russet potatoes
- Neutral frying oil, such as canola or peanut oil
- Kosher salt
For the Fish
- 1½ pounds cod or haddock fillets, cut into 4–6 pieces
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup all-purpose flour, for dusting
For the Batter
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- About 1 cup very cold lager or sparkling water
Instructions:
- Cut the potatoes into approximately ½-inch-thick chips. Rinse them in cold water until the water is mostly clear, then dry thoroughly.
- Heat about 3 inches of oil to 325°F. Fry the potatoes in batches for 4–6 minutes, until tender but still quite pale. Drain and let cool while preparing the fish.
- Increase the oil temperature to 375°F.
- Pat the fish very dry and season lightly with salt and pepper. Dust each piece with flour and shake off the excess. That thin flour coating helps the batter adhere.
- For the batter, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt. Immediately before frying, whisk in enough ice-cold lager or sparkling water to make a batter about the consistency of heavy cream. A few small lumps are fine; don’t overmix.
- Dip each piece of fish into the batter, allow the excess to drip off, and carefully lower it into the 375°F oil. Fry only a few pieces at a time for about 4–6 minutes, turning if necessary, until deeply golden and crisp and the fish is cooked through. Transfer to a wire rack rather than paper towels.
- Return the partially cooked potatoes to the 375°F oil and fry until crisp and golden, about 2–4 minutes. Drain and season immediately with kosher salt.
- Serve immediately with lemon wedges, malt vinegar and tartar sauce.
Tip: Keep the batter extremely cold and mix it only immediately before frying. Cold batter hitting hot oil encourages rapid steam formation and helps produce a lighter, crisper coating.
For the Tartar Sauce:
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped dill pickles
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped capers
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon finely minced shallot
- ¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Kosher salt, if needed
Instructions:
Combine the mayonnaise, pickles, capers, parsley, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, shallot and Worcestershire sauce in a small bowl. Season with pepper and taste before adding salt—the capers and pickles may provide enough.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to blend. It can be made a day ahead.
Tip: For a slightly looser, brighter sauce, stir in another teaspoon or two of fresh lemon juice just before serving.
Source: GB Recipes