Classic Fish and Chips

By Culiora

Classic British fish and chips with crispy beer-battered cod and double-cooked chips. Traditionally served with creamy tartar sauce and lemon wedges.

• Servings: 4
• Prep time: 25 min
• Cook time: 40 min
• Total time: 65 min

Ingredients

• 800 g cod loins or haddock fillets, cut into portions
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 dl all-purpose flour, for dredging
• 2 dl all-purpose flour
• 1/2 dl cornstarch
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 250 ml ice-cold pale beer (e.g., lager or ale)
• 1 kg floury potatoes (such as King Edward or Maris Piper)
• 1.5 l neutral cooking oil (such as canola or sunflower oil)
• 1.5 dl mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp cornichons or pickled gherkins, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp capers, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh dill or chives, finely chopped
• 1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 pcs lemon, cut into wedges

Instructions

1. Whisk together all the ingredients for the tartar sauce in a small bowl: mayonnaise, cornichons, capers, chopped herbs, and lemon juice. Season to taste with a pinch of salt and pepper, then chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
2. Peel the potatoes and slice them into thick chips, about 1.5 cm wide. Rinse the cut chips thoroughly in cold water to wash off excess surface starch. Drain well and pat thoroughly dry with a clean kitchen towel.
3. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot to 140 °C. Par-fry the chips in batches for 6–8 minutes until tender all the way through but not yet browned. Remove with a slotted spoon or spider and drain on a wire cooling rack or paper towels.
4. Whisk together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt for the beer batter in a mixing bowl. Pour in the ice-cold beer just before frying the fish and stir briefly—the batter should only just come together and should still have a few small lumps.
5. Increase the oil temperature to 180 °C. Pat the fish pieces dry with paper towels, season with salt and black pepper, and dredge in the 1 dl of all-purpose flour to coat evenly. Gently shake off any excess.
6. Dip the fish pieces one by one into the beer batter to coat evenly. Carefully lower them into the hot oil at 180 °C (fry only 2 pieces at a time so the oil temperature does not drop too sharply). Fry for 4–6 minutes until the crust is deep golden brown and crisp, and the internal temperature of the fish reaches about 52 °C. Drain on a wire rack (keep warm in a 100 °C oven if needed) and sprinkle lightly with salt immediately.
7. Skim any stray bits of batter from the oil using a fine-mesh skimmer and raise the heat to 190 °C. Return the par-cooked chips to the oil and fry a second time for 2–4 minutes until deeply golden and crisp. Drain quickly and sprinkle generously with flaky sea salt.
8. Serve the battered fish and hot chips immediately alongside the chilled tartar sauce and lemon wedges.