Fish and Chips
The British takeaway icon: cod or haddock in a beer-batter shell that shatters when you bite, alongside thick chunky chips fried twice for the crispest crust. Mushy peas and a wedge of lemon on the side; vinegar at the table.
Overview
The British takeaway classic, the meal eaten wrapped in paper on a seafront bench while the gulls work out their angle of attack. The chips are the longer half of the job: floury Maris Piper potatoes blanched first at low oil temperature to cook through, drained, then crisped at a hotter temperature for the second fry that gives them their proper craggy crunch. The fish (cod or haddock for the classic, pollock or hake for the equally-good alternatives) dunks in a cold beer batter and goes straight into the same hot oil, where the batter sets instantly into a shattering golden shell that keeps the fish steaming and white inside. Mushy peas on the side, a wedge of lemon if you're being fancy. Salt and malt vinegar at the table, newspaper underneath if you're going traditional.
Ingredients
Chips
- 1 kg Maris Piper potatoes (peeled, cut into 1 ½ cm thick chips)
- Vegetable oil (or beef dripping for deep-frying)
- Sea salt
Fish
- 4 skinless cod (or haddock fillets, about 150 g each)
- 2 tablespoons plain flour (for dusting)
- salt
- pepper
Beer batter
- 200 g plain flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 300 ml very cold beer (lager or a pale ale)
Mushy peas
- 400 g frozen peas
- 30 g unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons crème fraîche
- 1 tablespoon mint (chopped, optional)
- salt
- pepper
To serve
- Lemon wedges
- Malt vinegar
- Tartare Sauce
Method
Stage 1 - First fry of the chips
- Soak the cut chips in cold water for 10 minutes, then drain and pat thoroughly dry.
- Heat the oil to 130°C in a deep fryer or heavy pan.
- Fry the chips in batches for 6-7 minutes until soft but uncoloured.
- Drain on a wire rack. Let rest while you make the batter and peas.
Stage 2 - Mushy peas
- Cook the peas in boiling salted water for 3 minutes. Drain.
- Mash with the butter and crème fraîche to a chunky purée. Stir in the mint and season.
- Keep warm.
Stage 3 - Batter the fish
- Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
- Pour in the cold beer and whisk just until smooth (some lumps are fine; don't over-mix).
- Pat the fish fillets dry, season, and dust lightly with the extra flour.
Stage 4 - Second fry of the chips, then the fish
- Increase the oil to 190°C.
- Fry the chips again in batches for 2-3 minutes until deep golden and crisp. Drain, salt immediately, keep warm in a low oven.
- Dip each fish fillet in the batter and lower carefully into the oil. Fry for 5-6 minutes until the batter is deep golden and the fish is cooked through (it'll feel firm).
- Drain briefly on a wire rack and serve immediately.
Notes
- Twice-fried chips: The first fry cooks the inside; the second crisps the outside. A single fry at high heat gives raw centres and burnt edges.
- Beer must be cold: Cold batter against hot oil causes the dramatic crisping. Room-temperature batter goes flabby.
- Don't crowd the oil: Dropping more than 2 fillets at a time drops the temperature; the batter absorbs oil instead of crisping.
- Dripping is traditional: Beef dripping gives the proper chippy flavour and crisper chips. Vegetable oil works.
Storage
- Best eaten immediately. Fish + chips don't reheat well; the batter goes leathery and the chips soften.
- Mushy peas keep 2 days refrigerated.
Recipes mentioned here
Mushy Peas
Dried marrowfat peas soak overnight in cold water with bicarbonate of soda (the soda softens the skins; without it the peas stay tough). The peas are drained, rinsed, then simmered slowly in fresh water with a pinch of salt until they break down into a thick green porridge, about 40 minutes. A teaspoon of butter, a pinch more salt and (optionally) a small spoon of mint sauce or chopped fresh mint stir through at the end. Eaten warm. Some chip-shop versions add a teaspoon of sugar; some Yorkshire households add a splash of malt vinegar at the table.
Tartare Sauce
A vibrant, sophisticated cold sauce combining hard-boiled egg yolks with fragrant oil, tangy vinegar, and a combination of capers, onion, and fresh chives. This classic French accompaniment to fried fish showcases elegant simplicity with layered, briny flavors.
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