British Main
Fish and Chips
Ratings & commentsCrisp golden battered cod with thick-cut chips, mushy-style peas and lemon: the British takeaway, made properly at home.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Total
- 1 h 35 min
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Heat
- Mild
Plan ahead: Soak the cut potatoes in cold water for 30 minutes for crisper chips.
About this Fish and Chips
Fish and chips is best when the chips are fried twice and the batter is light and shatteringly crisp. Cold batter and hot oil are the whole secret. It needs a deep pan and a little care, but nothing else, and four generous portions cost a fraction of the chip-shop price.
Ingredients
- 1.2 kgPotatoes, floury, such as Maris Piper
- 500 mlSunflower Oil, for deep frying
- 800 gCod Fillet, skinless, in four pieces, patted dry
- 200 gPlain Flour, plus a little extra for dusting the fish
- 10 gSalt
- 300 gPeas, frozen
- 20 gButter, for the peas
- 100 gLemons, cut into wedges
Plus water and a little salt to taste.
How to prepare Fish and Chips
Peel the potatoes and cut them into thick chips about 1.5 cm wide. Soak in cold water for 30 minutes, then drain and dry thoroughly on a clean tea towel.
Heat the oil to 130C in a deep, heavy pan, no more than half full. Use a thermometer if you have one. Fry the chips in batches for 6-8 minutes until soft but not coloured. Lift out and drain on kitchen paper.
For the batter, whisk 150 g of the flour with half the salt and about 200 ml of ice-cold water until it is smooth and the consistency of double cream. Keep it in the fridge until you need it.
Raise the oil to 180C. Season the cod, dust it lightly with the remaining flour, then dip it into the batter, letting any excess drip off.
Lower each piece of fish gently into the hot oil, away from you. Fry for 6-8 minutes, turning once, until deep golden and crisp and the fish is cooked through and flakes easily. Drain on kitchen paper.
Return the chips to the 180C oil for 3-4 minutes until golden and crisp. Drain and sprinkle with the remaining salt.
Cook the peas in boiling water for 3 minutes, drain, and mash roughly with the butter.
Serve everything straight away with the lemon wedges.
The method was written by AI from the ingredient list. Cook with your own judgement, and check that everything is cooked through and safe to eat.
Tips
- Never leave hot oil unattended, and do not fill the pan more than half full. Have a lid to hand to smother any flames, and never use water on an oil fire.
- Cold batter hitting hot oil gives the crispest coating, so keep the batter in the fridge until the last moment.
- Always pat the cod dry first; wet fish makes the batter slide off.
Ratings & comments
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