by Ingrid Beer 3 Comments
Hot and crispy, my fish and chips are a pub favorite, easily prepared in the comfort of your own kitchen. Fresh cod is dipped into a beer batter and then lightly fried until golden, then served with homemade lemon tartar sauce and easy oven fries for a simplified take on a fish and chips recipe!
A Favorite Pub Meal Prepared At Home
Fish and chips has always been a favorite pub-style meal our family has loved to indulge in.
Whenever we'd find ourselves visiting Santa Monica, or taking a day-trip a little further north to Santa Barbara, we had our favorite English or Irish pubs that we'd stop in just for the hot, crispy fish and chips, doused in malt vinegar and dipped in tartar sauce.
They're such a treat and a delicious indulgence, perfect for a day out and about near the pier!
And while we loved enjoying this dish at a restaurant, I wanted to create my own fish and chips recipe that I could easily whip up in the comfort of my own kitchen whenever we got the craving.
Complete with a bright and tangy, homemade lemon tartar sauce and healthy oven fries on the side, my fish and chips recipe is just the ticket when we get a hankering for that hot, crispy, beer-battered fish and some savory oven fries, no trip the the pub required!
My Recipe for Fish and Chips
When it comes to the fish used in a fish and chips recipe, a nice white fish is best.
I love to use cod and cut it into medium size pieces, easy to dredge in the batter and quickly fry to golden-brown perfection.
I season the fish a little bit first to impart more flavor, then season the batter which I prepare with an equal amount of flour and cornstarch for a light and crispy texture, and a bottle beer (a nice ale is great).
I also whisk up a quick little tartar sauce with some mayo, lemon juice and zest, herbs, and a touch of sweet pickle relish. It offers some bright tanginess to the crispy fried fish—so good!
And while I'm frying my fish, I have my seasoned oven fries baking away in a hot oven until hot and golden, no babysitting required.
Here's a glance at my fish and chips recipe: (or just jump to the full recipe...)
- To get started, I prepare my lemon tartar sauce, and keep that cold in the fridge.
- Next, I season my matchstick-sliced potatoes, and place them into the oven to bake.
- While the oven fries bake, I season my cod and prepare my beer batter, allowing it to rest for a few minutes.
- Meanwhile, I bring my oil to temperature, then dip the fish into the beer batter, and fry in batches for a few minutes until golden-brown and crispy. I then drain the fried fish on a wire rack.
- I serve the hot fish and chips with some lemon tartar sauce and malt vinegar on the side.
Recipe
Fish and Chips Recipe
by Ingrid Beer
Print Recipe
This fish and chips recipe prepared with hot, crispy beer-battered cod, lemon tartar sauce and oven fries is a pub favorite!
Category: Entree
Cuisine: British-American
Yield: Serves 6
Nutrition Info: 777 calories per serving
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Beer-Battered Fish Ingredients:
- 1 cup plus ½ cup all-purpose flour, divided use
- 1 cup cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus extra
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- 12 fluid ounces beer
- 2 pounds cod fillets, cut into smaller pieces, if necessary
- Black Pepper
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- Lemon wedges, for garnish
- Malt vinegar, for serving
Oven Fries Ingredients:
- 4 russet potatoes, unpeeled and sliced into matchstick-type slices
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Black pepper
- ½ teaspoon granulated onion
- ½ teaspoon granulated garlic
- ½ teaspoon paprika
Lemon Tartar Sauce Ingredients:
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- Zest of 1 lemon (about 1 teaspoon)
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon sweet pickle relish
- 1 teaspoon chopped, flat-leaf parsley
- Pinch or two salt
- Pinch black pepper
Preparation:
- Begin by gathering and prepping all of your lemon tartar sauce ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized.
- To prep your tartar sauce, add all the ingredients into a small dish or bowl, and mix together until combined. Keep cold in the fridge.
- Next, gather and prep your beer-battered fish ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
- To a large bowl, add the 1 cup of flour, the cornstarch, baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, black pepper and paprika, and whisk together. Slowly pour in the beer and gently whisk to blend and create a smooth batter. Allow it to rest for about 15 minutes.
- While the beer batter rest, preheat the oven to 400° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper of foil.
- Gather and prep all of your oven fries ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
- To prep your fries, toss the potato matchsticks with about 3 to 4 tablespoons of oil, a couple of good pinches of salt and black pepper, the granulated onion, garlic, and the paprika.
- Turn the seasoned potatoes out onto the baking sheet, and bake for about 45 minutes or until nice and golden-brown. (I like to turn the broiler on for a moment or two at the end, to crisp them up a bit more.)
- While the fries bake, heat your frying oil in a heavy bottom pan or pot (about 6 cups) to between 360° to 365°.
- Season your cod fillets by sprinkling them with a couple of pinches or salt and black pepper.
- Once the oil is hot, dredge the pieces of fish in the remaining ½ cup of flour, then dip one at a time in the batter, allowing the excess to drip off. Gently place the beer-battered fish into the hot oil (work in batches as to not overcrowd), and fry the fish for about 6 to 8 minutes, or until golden and crispy.
- Drain the fried fish on a wire rack, and repeat the process until all pieces are fried.
- Serve the beer-battered fish with the fries, along with the lemon tartar sauce, some malt vinegar, and lemon wedges.
Tips & Tidbits for my Fish and Chips recipe:
- Cod, or any flaky and mild white fish: I like to use cod fillets for my fish and chips recipe, as they have a white, tender flesh and mild flavor. Halibut is fantastic as well, but it is more pricey than the cod. You can use any mild white fish that you prefer here.
- Russet potatoes for tasty oven fries: To prep these tasty seasoned oven fries, I just season them really well, toss with a bit of oil, and place them onto a baking sheet and into a nice, hot oven for baking. This yields golden, crisp fries, especially if you hit them with the broiler at the end of baking for extra crispiness.
- What to serve with fish and chips: I really love my tangy lemony tartar sauce here, and it's super quick and easy to mix up. And no plate of fish and chips would be complete without that delicious malt vinegar, of course!
Craving more cozy recipe similar to this one? Check out these Baja Fish Tacos, these Fried Calamari, these Crab Cakes, this Baked Halibut, this Pan Fried Fish, this Fish Sandwich, these Crunchy Fish Sticks!
Cook's Note: This recipe was originally published in 2014, and has been updated with even more love!
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About Ingrid Beer
Ingrid obtained her Culinary Arts degree in 2005 after graduating with honors from the California School of Culinary Arts (Le Cordon Bleu program) in Pasadena, CA.
She has had the pleasure and privilege of being the Executive Chef for two substance abuse facilities in Malibu, Ca., as well as a personal chef for private clients.
More about Ingrid →
Reader Interactions
Comments
Thalia @ butter and brioche
Cannot remember the last time that I had fish and chips.. definitely craving some right now. Thanks for reminding me how delicious it is, need to recreate the recipe asap.
Reply
Josie
I LOVE your recipes Ingrid. I'm so glad I found your blog
Reply
The Cozy Apron
Josie, that is truly such a sweet thing to say; thank you so much. And I'm so grateful for your readership! 🙂
Reply
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