"Proper" Fish & Chips
Although I have many favorite foods, if I was asked to name which one I would choose for my final meal, I would be hard pressed to choose anything other than a plate of “proper” British Fish & Chips. Whilst it is almost impossible to recreate the experience of going to a real British “Chippie” at home, this recipe will bring you pretty close to the meal that fueled so many of my childhood adventures.
The method for making the chips is based on chef Heston Blumenthal’s world famous “Triple Cooked Chips.” Once you have tried them, you will never cook them any other way.
Watch Simon Make His "Proper" Fish & Chips Recipe
"Proper" Fish & Chips Recipe
​
(Serves 4)
​
Ingredients
-
​4 x 4 oz fillets of Cod or Haddock (I prefer mine to cook with the skin on, but you can use skinless if you prefer)
-
4 Large Yukon Gold Potatoes (peeled and cut into batons about the same dimension as your 4th finger)
-
Vegetable Oil for Deep Frying
For the Batter
-
1 ½ Cups All Purpose Flour
-
½ Cup Rice Flour
-
1 Tsp Salt
-
1 Tsp Ground White Pepper
-
½ Tsp Turmeric (this gives a beautiful golden color to the end result)
-
¼ Cup Vodka
-
Enough cold water to make a smooth batter
​
For the Tartare Sauce
-
1 cup Mayonnaise (I make my own, but a good store bought version will do)
-
¼ Cup Pickled Jalapeno (Roughly Chopped)
-
¼ Cup Pitted Black Olives (Roughly Chopped)
-
¼ Cup Capers (Roughly Chopped)
-
¼ Cup Dill Pickles (Roughly Chopped)
​
Instructions
​
For The Fish
-
Dry the fish thoroughly with a kitchen towel.
-
Combine the dry batter ingredients.
-
Add the vodka and then add the water in small amounts combining with a whisk until you have a batter similar to a thick pancake batter. Don’t worry if there are a few lumps in the batter as this will give you some extra crunchy bits on the end result.
-
Allow the batter to rest for at least 30 mins before using.
-
When ready to prepare, heat enough vegetable oil to deep fry the fish in a pan (I use my wok) to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
-
Dip the fish into the batter. They should have a good thick coating. This is not like tempura, where the batter clings to the fish or vegetables. For fish and chips the batter should puff away from the fish allowing it to steam inside.
-
Drop the fish gently into the oil and fry for 4-5 minutes or until the batter is crisp and golden. Remember, the fish will continue to cook inside the batter once you remove it from the oil.
-
Drain on a kitchen towel and sprinkle with salt.
​
For the Chips
-
Bring a pan of salted water to the boil. Boil your chipped potatoes for 3 minutes in the water, drain and lay out on kitchen towel to dry thoroughly.
-
Heat enough oil to deep fry your potatoes in a pan to 350 degrees. Fry the potatoes in batches until they are crisp on the outside, but still white. This usually takes about 3-4 minutes. Remove the potatoes from the oil and lay on more kitchen towels.
-
You can do steps 1 and 2 well in advance.
-
When you are ready to finish your chips, heat the same oil again, but this time to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Fry the potatoes in batches until they are crisp and golden. Drain onto a kitchen towel and sprinkle with salt.
​
For the Tartare Sauce
-
Simply fold together the chopped ingredients with the mayonnaise.