Crispy Battered Fish and Chips Recipe
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Fish and chips are popular pub fare all around Britain, though I had some of the best in a small seaside town called Hastings, England that my family visited years ago. The crispy golden fried pieces were made using freshly caught fish and were served wrapped in newspaper with thick-cut French fries.
This version of fish and chips is inspired by Dame NYC, an English seafood restaurant in the West Village. Their version of the classic (actually inspired by Heston Blumenthal’s version of fish and chips) has an extra crispy exterior since it’s fried with a combination of all-purpose flour, rice flour, beer and a bit of vodka.
Because both the fish and fries are best fresh and require lots of frying room, I recommend cooking the fries first then reheating them in the broiler or in the air fryer while the fish fries. The batter should be freshly made so it’s frothy and bubbly, I don’t recommend letting it sit ahead of time. It’s also crucial the oil is heated to the proper temperature to get the proper crunch. An infrared thermometer is a great buy to ensure the correct temperature.
Crispy Battered Fish and Chips Recipe
Table of contents
Key Ingredients in This Recipe
- Fish – A flakey, lean white fish like cod, haddock, halibut or hake has the best texture and flavor for fish and chips. I recommend buying a local fish for the freshest tasting flavor.
- All purpose flour – This is the most commonly used in beer-batter, using all-purpose flour alone won’t get and stay as crispy as using it in combination with another flour.
- Rice flour – Which I use in one of my favorite fried recipes, buffalo cauliflower, has a lower moisture content and is also naturally gluten free (however I use it in addition to wheat flour in this recipe).
- Turmeric – My brother showed me this trick years ago. Adding a bit of turmeric powder adds a beautiful golden color to the batter for perfectly golden looking fried fish in this dish.
- Vodka – Adding a bit of vodka is the key to a crunchy exterior. Vodka evaporates more quickly than water which makes the crust perfectly crispy.
- Beer – A simple light beer or lager (it can be cheap) is best for beer batter. You don’t want to use a beer with a flavor that is too overpowering.
- Potatoes – In this recipe I use Russet potatoes, also known as Idaho potatoes to make the fries served alongside the beer-battered fish. They’re large, starchy, oblong potatoes known for being the ideal baking potato. When cooked they become soft and light on the inside while frying them leaves them extra crispy on the outside.
How to Make Fish and Chips
Step 1: Prep potatoes.
Slice the peeled potatoes into ½” (1.3cm) thick planks and cut each plank into ½” (1.3cm) fries. Add the cut fries to a large bowl filled with cold water and the vinegar and let sit for 30 minutes.
Step 2: Fry the fries once.
In a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven add enough oil to reach 2” (5cm) up the pan. Heat the oil to 250ºF (130ºC). While the oil heats, drain the fries and pat completely dry. Working in batches, add a handful of the fries to the oil and fry, stirring occasionally, until cooked through, about 5 minutes.
Step 3: Increase oil temperature.
Increase the heat. Use tongs to remove the potatoes to a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining fries. Let all the fries cool to room temperature then increase the temperature of the oil to 350ºF (180ºC).
Step 4: Fry fries a second time.
Fry for a second time and season. Working in batches again, add fries to the oil and fry until golden brown and crispy, about 3 minutes. Remove to a paper towel-lined baking sheet once more to drain and season with salt.
Step 5: Prep the fish.
Cut the fish into filets. Pat dry with paper towels to remove any excess moisture. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
Step 6: Make beer batter.
Return the oil to heat, adding additional oil to the pan if needed. Heat the oil to 400ºF (200ºC). In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, rice flour, baking powder and turmeric. Stir in the vodka followed by the lager into the flour mixture until just combined.
Step 7: Coat fish in batter.
Working a few pieces of fish at a time, dip the fish fillets in the batter and turn to coat completely. Remove the fish from the batter one piece at a time, making sure any excess batter drips off.
Step 8: Fry fish.
Add to the hot oil and fry, turning once, until crispy, golden brown and just cooked through, about 3 minutes total. Remove from the oil and let drain on a wire rack set over a paper-towel lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining fish.
Step 9: Serve.
Divide the fish and fries among serving plates. Serve with a lemon wedges, tartar sauce and malt vinegar.
Tips and Tricks for This Recipe
Swaps and substitutions
- Try using store bought fries! Rather than making your own fries for the fish and chips, a great shortcut is using store bought, frozen French fries to cut down on the work and frying. Cook them in the oven or use an air fryer for extra crispy fries.
- Try frying other types of fish using this batter! I actually really enjoy battered, fried salmon.
Troubleshooting Fried Fish
- My fish isn’t browning. The temperature of the oil you are using to fry the fish isn’t hot enough. Make sure it’s heated thoroughly before adding the fish. Check it by using a thermometer or adding a small amount of batter to the oil, there should be lots of small bubbles. After cooking each batch, give the oil a few minutes to come back to temperature before adding more.
- My fish isn’t cooked inside but the outside is dark. Your oil is too hot! The batter is browning too fast and the fish doesn’t have enough time to cook while the exterior is browning too fast. The best solution for this is to make sure you have a thermometer on hand.
What to Serve with Fish and Chips
- Tartar sauce
- Malt vinegar
- Lemon wedge
Other Recipes To Try
If you enjoy this fish and chips recipe, give these recipes a try:
Crispy Battered Fish and Chips Recipe
Ingredients:
For the fries:
- 4 large Russet potatoes (about 2½ pounds, scrubbed and peeled)
- ¼ cup white vinegar
- Vegetable oil, as needed, for frying
- Kosher salt, as needed
For the battered fish:
- 1½ pound cod or other flakey white fish
- Kosher salt, as needed
- Freshly ground black pepper, as needed
- Vegetable oil, as needed, for frying
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup white rice flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ cup vodka
- 1¼ cup chilled lager beer
For serving:
- Sliced lemon, for garnish
- Malt vinegar, as needed
- Tartar sauce, as needed
Instructions:
For the fries:
- Slice the peeled potatoes into ½” (1.3cm) thick planks and cut each plank into ½” (1.3cm) fries. Add the cut fries to a large bowl filled with cold water and the vinegar and let sit for 30 minutes.
- In a heavy-bottomed pot add enough oil to reach 2” (5cm) up the pan. Heat the oil to 250ºF (130ºC). While the oil heats, drain the fries and pat completely dry. Working in batches, add a handful of the fries to the oil and fry, stirring occasionally, until cooked through, about 5 minutes.
- Increase the heat. Use tongs to remove the potatoes to a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining fries. Let all the fries cool to room temperature then increase the temperature of the oil to 350ºF (180ºC).
- Fry for a second time and season. Working in batches again, add fries to the oil and fry until golden brown and crispy, about 3 minutes. Remove to a paper towel-lined baking sheet once more to drain and season with salt.
For the battered fish:
- Cut the fish into filets. Pat dry with paper towels to remove any excess moisture. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
- Return the oil to heat, adding additional oil to the pan if needed. Heat the oil to 400ºF (200ºC).
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, rice flour, baking powder and turmeric. Stir in the vodka followed by the lager until just combined.
- Working a few pieces of fish at a time, add to the batter and turn to coat completely. Remove the fish from the batter one piece at a time, making sure any excess batter drips off.
- Add to the hot oil and fry, turning once, until crispy, golden brown and just cooked through, about 3 minutes total. Remove from the oil and let drain on a wire rack set over a paper-towel lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining fish.
For serving:
- Divide the fish and fries among serving plates. Serve with a lemon wedge, tartar sauce and malt vinegar.
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