IPA-Battered Fish and Chips
Fish and chips, the original pub food.
For the fish: cod, flour, beer. For the chips: potatoes, salt. For both: vegetable oil, a lemon wedge, and malt vinegar.
Laura Davis instructs us to peel the outer edge of the spuds, but leave a cap of skin on top and bottom for crisp ends after frying.
Her instructions are simple: cut the potato into 1/2 inch slabs for starters.
Then cut lengthwise in 1/4 inch slices for even, rectangular fries.
A quick soak in salt water removes some of the potatoes' starchiness -- which helps them become all they can be in that bath of hot oil.
After their soak, be sure to dry the potatoes well on paper towels or dishcloths -- wet potatoes are dangerous to deep fry!
Meanwhile, we prepared the fish batter: as simple as pouring beer into flour and salt.
Just a quick stir -- a few lumps are fine.
Here's a cool trick: Laura Davis puts just a quarter-cup of flour into a plastic bag and uses it to coat the fish before dipping in the beer batter. It's mess-free and results in thicker breading...
After a turn in the IPA-fragrant batter, it's time to fry.
These french fries are twice-cooked: the first dip is meant to cook the potatoes through without browning.
Then after a quick rest, they go back in for their final browning. Don't forget to sprinkle them with salt afterward!
It's important to regulate your oil temperature so the fish doesn't brown before cooking all the way through. This piece looks about right.
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Author Notes: London Calling. Crisy, golden fried cod, with homemade "twice-fried" fries. - tideandthyme
Food52 Review: WHO: This is Laura Davis' very first FOOD52 recipe!
WHAT: Fish and chips that will transport you directly to foggy London.
HOW: White fish takes a dip in a quick beer batter before being fried along with the potatoes. A one-pot dish!
WHY WE LOVE IT: There's nothing like thickly battered fish accompanying freshly made, twice-fried french fries to transport us to the other side of the pond.
- A&M
Serves 4
- 1 pound cod, or other white flaky fish
- 5 large Russet potatoes
- 1 cup India Pale Ale (IPA)
- 1.25 cups All-Purpose flour
- 2.5 tablespoons kosher salt
- 4 cups warm water
- vegetable oil, for frying
- Combine warm water and 2 tablespoons kosher salt in large bowl. Mix to dissolve salt. Set aside.
- To prepare the potatoes, peel the sides of the potato with a vegetable peeler, leaving some skin at the top and bottom. Slice potatoes length-wise, in 1/2″ slices. Then, slice 1/4″ inch strips from those slices. A mandoline or french fry cutter is very handy here! Place cut potatoes in the bowl of saltwater and soak for 15 minutes. Remove from water and place the potatoes on a clean kitchen towel to dry for a few minutes. Dry well to avoid splattering when frying.
- Fill a dutch oven with vegetable oil, so that oil comes up a little less than halfway up the pot. Place over low heat and heat to 375 degrees. Meanwhile, prepare your beer batter by combining the beer, 1 cup of flour, and a teaspoon of salt in a large bowl. Set aside. Place remainder of flour in a resealable bag and set aside with the beer batter.
- Once oil is up to temperature, fry the potatoes in batches, taking care not to overcrowd. Fry until edges are starting to brown, about 3 minutes. Remove to a paper-towel lined cookie sheet. Repeat process with remaining potatoes. Once all potatoes have been fried, bring the oil back up to 375 degrees, and refry them. The “twice-fry” is the key to a crispy french fry. Just another minute or two in the hot oil is all you need. Place them on a cooling rack on a cookie sheet and keep warm in an oven while fish is frying.
- To fry the fish, place filets in the bag of flour to lightly coat, then dip into beer batter, and add to the oil. Fry until golden brown, turning fish occasionally, about 6-9 minutes depending on the size of the filets. Remove from oil and drain on paper towel-lined plate for a minute before plating. Serve fried fish over a generous portion of french fries with wedges of lemon for garnish. Tartar sauce and malt vinegar on the side.
- Your Best Pub Food Contest Winner!
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29 days ago Nick Kenny
Excellent recipe! This was my first time frying, and I used a large cast iron skillet. Worked very well. All I had on hand were swai filets. They worked well and my dinner came out looking very close to the picture from above and tasting very delicious! Mine were not quite as crispy, but I would definitely make these again. I paired them with carrot fries from another recipe on the site.
3 months ago ECMotherwell
This was our fun/delicious Valentine's dinner. I tossed in a little garlic powder and a dash of cayenne pepper to the beer batter, and holy cow, the fish was delish. The chips were wonderful too! Thank you so much for a wonderful, apparently fail-safe pub classic!!!
8 months ago ginampen
I made this last night and it was fabulous! Looked exactly like the photo and the texture of the fish and fries was perfect! Thanks for the great recipe.
9 months ago thefoodpoet
Hi, I'd appreciate it so much if all your recipes would have metric measurements, at least in brackets. The recipe looks beautiful!
9 months ago leslie3733
Looking forward to having proper fish and chips at home! A few questions:
-- How many pieces of fish do you want from that pound of cod to serve 4?
-- A whole filet is both thick and thin. Which section/thickness do you recommend for this dish?
Thanks for the good answers.
9 months ago tideandthyme
I usually cut the filets in half, vertically. I'd get 3 filets to serve 4.
9 months ago greenchilemaven
Seems a perfect recipe except this leaves me dying for a legitimate contender in the tartar sauce category. Think I will prepare something right away to submit soon I hope because I definitely need that tartar sauce to go with. Thanks for great prep instructions on the fish and chips.
9 months ago tideandthyme
I usually do about 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 2 tbsp lemon juice, and 2 tbsp sweet pickle relish. I hate sweet pickles under any other circumstance, but I actually like the hint of sweet in the tartar sauce!
9 months ago EmilyC
Congrats -- such a classic! I lived in Ireland for awhile and definitely ate my fair share of fish and chips. I don't think a lot of chippers double fry their chips, but they should!
9 months ago NBrush
Twice frying fries is smart--doing so does make them crisp. Congratulations on being a finalist.
9 months ago tideandthyme
Thanks so much!
9 months ago texasblu
my husband has been in AA for 15 years so you can see i can't use beer/ale, can anyone offer any substitutes?
9 months ago tideandthyme
Club soda could be substituted.
9 months ago enthous
Or non-alcoholic beer.
9 months ago viblanco
Congratulations! I'm going to make this with my Roasted Slap Fries. :))
9 months ago tideandthyme
I'm dying to make that Sriracha mayo! Thanks so much.
9 months ago tideandthyme
So honored to be selected as a finalist. Thanks so much!
9 months ago lorigoldsby
Congrats on being a finalist! Beautiful batter!
9 months ago fiveandspice
Emily is a trusted source on Scandinavian Cuisine.
Congrats on being a finalist. These look worth dragging out a pot of oil for!
9 months ago afoodie
For certain, thanks so much!
9 months ago JORJ
sounds dangerously good and simple!
9 months ago savorthis
Congrats on being a finalist. Sounds simple and I love recipes that re- or dual- purpose something.