Fish and Chips

Fish and Chips are made with juicy cod deep-fried in a batter for a traditional Irish meal and served with thick, crisp chips or fries. In Ireland, fish and chips are frequently referred to as “One and One.” And, while I’m a sucker for a banging Corned Beef and Cabbage recipe, I have to tell you: it’s not Irish. It’s Irish-American. On the other hand, fish and chips are to Irish public houses or pubs, as chicken wings are to bars in the States. And most, if not all, Irishmen and women have a favorite pub they patronize which serves the “best fish and chips this side of the river Shannon.” Served with a side of mushy peas, which we’re not doing here, the meal is usually served with an accompanying pint of their preferred brew.

I went to Ireland to study their epicurean techniques back in the late nineties. I also learned how to make a mean fish and chips in the process. So, for St. Paddy’s Day this year, let’s get authentic and celebrate by eating as the Irish do.

This post was originally published in March 2020, the copy has been updated and metric measurements are now included. 

Where do Fish and Chips come from?

The fish and chips recipe originated in England. It is a contribution to the English cuisine by Jewish transplants that consists of meaty fish, deep-fried in oil and served with thick-cut french fries.

Fish and chips still remain one of the most popular takeaway (carryout) foods in most of the UK. Its Irish nickname “one and one” came from how fish and chips were offered to Irishmen and women when it arrived in Ireland. “One of this, one of that?” soon became “one and one.”

What is the best Fish to use when making Fish and Chips?

Cod is the best fish to use when making fish and chips. And, unless you can’t get it, it’s the only fish that should be used to make fish and chips, in my opinion. Cod is meaty, succulent, and easy to source, after all. Because of how meaty it is, cod is one of the best fish to deep-fry, in general. Cod is a sustainable fish because of how it’s managed and harvested. That also means you can find fresh cod easily in most grocery stores. Cod is the best choice of fish for fish and chips, even frozen.

Second to cod, I recommend haddock for making fish and chips. It’s not as readily available where I live, but it does have a better flavor than cod. I’m not a fan of how thin haddock filets are when compared to cod, though. Haddock is also less flaky than cod. But, haddock is a suitable replacement if you can’t find cod. 

Pollock, hake, or skate are similar white fish that are other good options to make fish and chips. 

You can use frozen cod to make fish and chips if you thaw it first. Just leave it in the fridge to thaw completely and drain any liquids produced as it defrosted. 

What are the ingredients for Fish and Chips?

To make fish and chips, you need cod, all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, egg, a bottle of beer. The chips are simply Russet potatoes. You also need vegetable or peanut oil for frying.

How much fish do I buy?

Plan for 2 loins of cod for a crew of 4 for this fish and chips recipe. One loin of cod usually weighs 1 pound, so you’re looking at 8-ounces per person, pre-cooked weight. 

You can ask your fishmonger to give you two loins, which you’ll then cut into four servings at home. Or, you can ask them to cut the loins into portions to save time for yourself. The great thing about this recipe is how well it can be adjusted for larger or smaller serving sizes. Double or reduce it according to how many you need to feed.

What are the best potatoes for crispy chips?

The best fries are fluffy on the inside and crisp on the outside. Par-frying or blanching the potatoes is the key to achieving fluffy interiors and crispy exteriors. You also need the right potato, though. 

Russet (or Idaho) potatoes are best for french fries (or chips). They have a high starch content and low moisture. Their dense texture also means they hold up well to the two-step cooking process we’re about to employ here. You can also use Yukon Gold potatoes, though they are more prone to breaking up as they’re not as starchy as Russets. If you want to go off the grid completely, you can use sweet potatoes to make the chips in this recipe. Avoid waxy potatoes like red skin or new potatoes. 

How do you make French fries or chips?

Use your chef’s knife to cut the potatoes into 1/2-inch thick slabs. Lay the slabs flat and slice them into sticks that are 1/4-inch thick by 1/2-inch wide. So, they’re going to look like steak fries.  

Once the potatoes are cut, soak them in cold water for at least 2 hours. Soaking the potatoes for fries removes the excess potato starch, creating crispier fries or chips. You can start soaking the potatoes the day before, putting the bowl with them in the fridge. You can soak the potatoes up to 48 hours before draining and frying them.

Begin heating the oil to fry your chips in 10 minutes ahead. The best oil for frying fries is peanut oil, but I recommend using vegetable oil since many people have peanut allergies.

Before you fry the potatoes for french fries, strain them in a colander and rinse them really well under cold water to remove any starch that may cover them.

Once they’re rinsed, lay them in a single layer on a sheet pan lined with a clean kitchen towel or paper towels. This will soak up that excess water. Pat the top of the potatoes with another clean towel to remove all remaining traces of moisture. You don’t ever want to add watery potatoes to hot oil. It’s a sure-fire way to start a grease-fire. 

What temperature should the frying oil be at?

Deep-frying in a large stockpot is important. It gives you room to work and keeps you safe from popping oil or overflowing the pot, causing a dangerous grease fire. When in doubt, use the deepest pot you own. Or just use a deep fryer. If you don’t have a deep fryer with an internal thermometer, I recommend using a Chef Alarm from Thermoworks. Honestly? I use an independent thermometer anyway because I don’t trust the accuracy of internal thermometers.

Carefully drop a handful of the potatoes into the hot oil once it reaches 310°F (155°C). The oil temperature will drop by 5° when you add the potatoes, so reaching 310°F (155°C) is important in preventing the absorption of the oil, which causes the potatoes to become soggy. In theory, a temperature range between 300°F-310°F (150-155°C) is optimal. 

This stage of frying is called blanching. The goal when blanching potatoes is not to create a crisp exterior on the fries. Instead, it’s to cook the interior of the potatoes most of the way. 

Can I blanch the chips ahead?

If you’ve ever cooked bagged, frozen french fries, you’ve probably noticed that your hands are greasy when you grab them from the bag. This is because they were blanched. Without blanching, you risk burning your fries while leaving the center hard. Like those bagged fries, you can also blanch your potatoes (or chips) ahead and freeze them for later. Allow them to cool on a draining rack, then freeze them until solid on a sheetpan. Transfer them to a freezer storage bag once they’re frozen and you have you’re very own bagged, frozen fries. 

If you’re finishing this fish and chips recipe now, though, continue to blanch the potatoes for 3-5 minutes or until they are soft. The potatoes will not have any color once they’re done blanching.

Use a spider to remove the fries from the hot oil. Transfer the fries to a cooling rack set over a sheet pan to drain excess oil.

Continue blanching the rest of the fries until they are all tender. Set the potatoes to the side while you fry the fish. They’re safe at room temperature. 

Can I bake the chips?

To bake the chips for fish and chips:

1. Cut and soak the potatoes as instructed above.
2. Pat the potatoes very dry and toss them in 2 tablespoons of oil, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, and a 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper. 
3. Arrange the seasoned potatoes in a single layer with a small amount of space between each. 
4. Bake the potatoes in a 400°F (205°C) oven for 20-25 minutes. You can toss them once during baking. 
5. Once baked, keep them in a warm oven until you’re ready to serve.

I don’t care much for baked fries. Baked fries aren’t as crispy as fried, but if you’re cutting down on your fat intake, they’re a great option. 

What kind of beer is best for Fish and Chips?

Since the potatoes are safe to hold at room temperature, and since after frying the fish it retains heat better, it’s best to fry the fish before finishing the chips. First, increase the oil temperature to 375°F (190°C). 

A crisp beer and one with body is best for making the batter for fish. If you’re not a fan of strong beer flavors, use a lighter lager. Use an ale if you want more beer-forward flavor in your batter. Neither will make your batter overly boozy. The ale will just shine forward more than the lager. 

I use Smithwick’s, which is an Irish ale. From Pabst Blue Ribbon to a Hefeweizen, any beer will work in this recipe, though.

In a large mixing bowl, combine all-purpose flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking powder with a whisk. You can use a one-to-one gluten-free flour to make this gluten-free fish and chips. 

What does cornstarch do in the fish batter?

Adding cornstarch to the dry ingredients creates a crisper batter on your fried fish. You can replace it with potato or tapioca starch for the same effect. 

In a separate bowl, lightly beat the egg. Add the egg and beer to the bowl with the dry ingredients and whisk to form a thick batter. 

The batter should have the same consistency as pancake batter. You can add a tablespoon or two more flour if the batter is too thin. If the batter is too thick, thin it with more beer. 

Set the batter aside while you season and dredge your fish. Work quickly, so your batter doesn’t lose its bubbles during the wait. 

What is a dredge, and why do I need it for fish?

Lightly season your cod fillets with salt and pepper. I stress “lightly” because the batter already has salt in it. Too much salt on the cod will leave the finished, battered fish too salty. 

After seasoning, coat the filets lightly in unseasoned all-purpose flour. This is called “dredging.” Dredging fish in flour soaks up any moisture from its surface. In addition to drying out the surface of the cod, dredging fish gives the batter something to stick to.

Lay the fish in plain all-purpose flour and flip it over. Coat the rest of the fish in the flour and shake off the excess flour. Properly dredged fish will look ashy like it needs to put on some lotion. 

How long do I need to fry codfish?

Dip the fish into the beer batter and lift it out. Allow the excess batter to drip back into the bowl before carefully slipping the fish into the hot oil. 

Fry the cod for 8-9 minutes, or until it is a deep golden brown.

After the frying time is up, use a pair of tongs (or your spider) to remove the fish from the hot oil. Transfer the cod to a cooling rack set over a sheetpan. Draining foods on a rack allows the oil to fall away from foods, leaving their coatings crisp and not soggy. You can drain the fish on a paper towel-lined pan to absorb that excess oil if you don’t have a cooling rack.

Keep the fish in a warm, 200°F (93°C) oven while you fry the rest, allowing the oil to come back up to 375°F (190°C) between each batch. 

How do I finish the chips?

I always cook food in a way in which the foods that will retain the heat longest are cooked first. As a result, though I blanch the potatoes before frying the fish, I wait until after cooking the fish finish them. That’s because the cod retains heat longer than the chips do. 

Another reason is that the fries are finished at the hottest oil temperature of three separate frying stages. It’s inefficient to start at a low oil temp, then increase it, only to decrease it. 

Increase the oil temperature to 400°F (205°C). Add a handful of the blanched potatoes to the oil once the oil reaches the proper temperature.

Fry the chips for 4-5 minutes at 400°F (205°C), or until crisp and golden brown. Use your spider to remove the chips from the oil and back onto that cooling rack (over the sheetpan) to drain. 

Toss the chips in a pinch of salt and pepper in a metal bowl after draining them. Keep the chips in a warm oven until you’ve fried all of the potatoes. 

Continue frying the chips in small batches until they’re all cooked. Remember to allow the oil to come back up to temperature between batches. 

How do I serve the Fish and Chips?

Serve the fish and chips while piping hot with a side of Tartar Sauce and a few lemon wedges.

The Irish serve theirs with a side of mushy peas, but I’m not going there. I was not a fan of the combo in Ireland, so I skip it whenever I make this recipe. 

How do I store leftover Fish and Chips?

Store leftover fish and chips in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. 

Fish and chips don’t reheat well. You can reheat them in a 300°F (150°C) air fryer or oven. They’re never as crisp as when they are fresh, though. Reheat them for 10 minutes on a lightly greased sheet pan until heated through. 

Can I freeze the Fish and Chips?

You can freeze fish and chips after cooling them completely. Be mindful, though, that the batter of previously frozen fish will likely be very soggy after freezing and reheating. 

Transfer them to a freezer-safe container and freeze them for up to 3 months. Thaw them in the fridge or reheat them straight from the freezer. Just add 5-10 more minutes of reheating time to account for them being frozen.  

Hopefully, you’ll try this Fish and Chips recipe a switch up your standard St. Patrick’s Day menu for this fun, classic pub favorite. 

Pin this Fish and Chips recipe to make on your favorite Irish holiday, and don’t forget to share it with your world.

Beer-Battered Fish and Chips

Marta Rivera at Sense & Edibility

5 from 19 votes

This classic dish from the UK, this is a perfect meal to celebrate St. Patrick's Day with.

Prep time includes a recommended 2-hour soak for the potatoes.

Servings: 4

Print Pin Recipe SaveSaved!

Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

soaking time (for the potatoes) 2 hours hrs

Total Time 3 hours hrs 5 minutes mins

Equipment

• deep frying pot
• deep-fat frying thermometer

Ingredients

  

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For the Chips (French Fries)

• 3 large (560 grams) Russet potatoes peeled and cut into 1/4-inch by 1/2-inch sticks (see post)
• oil for frying
• salt and pepper as needed to taste

Beer-Battered Fish

• 1 3/4 cups (263 grams) all-purpose flour separated
• 1/4 cup (30 grams) cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons (8 grams) baking powder
• 1 teaspoon (6 grams) kosher salt
• 1 large egg lightly beaten
• 12 ounces beer ale or lager
• 2 pounds (900 grams) cod loins cut into 4 equal pieces
• 1/2 teaspoon (3 grams) salt or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper or to taste

To Serve

• 4 lemon wedges
• 1 cup Tartar Sauce

Instructions 

Soak, then Blanch the Potatoes (Up to 48 Hours Ahead)

• Soak the sliced potatoes in cold water for at least 2 hours.

  You can soak the potatoes up to 48 hours, putting the bowl with them in the fridge, before draining and frying them.
• In a large stockpot or deep fryer, heat 4 quarts of oil to 310°F (155°C). While you're waiting for the oil to heat up, arrange a draining station.

  Put a cooling rack over a sheetpan.
• Drain the potatoes of their soaking liquid them and rinse them really well under cold water to remove any remaining starch.

  Lay the potatoes in a single layer on a sheet pan lined with a clean kitchen towel or paper towels to soak up excess water. Pat the top of the potatoes with another clean towel to remove all remaining traces of moisture.
• Carefully add a handful of the potatoes into the hot oil.

  Blanch the potatoes for 3-5 minutes or until they are soft. The potatoes will not have any color once they're done blanching.
• Use a spider to remove the fries from the hot oil. Transfer the fries to a cooling rack set over a sheet pan to drain excess oil.

  Continue blanching the rest of the fries until they are all tender.

  Once done, set the potatoes to the side while you fry the fish. They're safe at room temperature. 

Batter, then Fry the Fish

• Increase the oil temperature to 375°F (190°C). Preheat your oven to 200°F (93°C) for keeping the food warm.

  Arrange a second cooling rack over another sheetpan or make room for the fish on the first rack and sheetpan setup.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups of the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and kosher salt with a whisk.

  In a separate bowl, lightly beat the egg.
• Add the egg and beer to the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir gently with a whisk to form a thick batter. The batter will be the same consistency as pancake batter.

  Set the batter aside while you season and dredge your fish.
• Lightly season the cod fillets with salt and pepper.

  After seasoning, coat the filets in the remaining, unseasoned, all-purpose flour. Coat the fish entirely in the flour and shake off the excess flour.
• Dip the fish into the beer batter and lift it out. Allow the excess batter to drip back into the bowl before carefully slipping the fish into the hot oil. 

  Fry the cod for 8-9 minutes, or until it is a deep golden brown.

Drain the Fish and Finish the Chips

• After the frying time is up, use a pair of tongs (or your spider) to remove the fish from the hot oil. Transfer the cod to the cooling rack set over the sheetpan.

  Keep the first batch of fish in the warm oven while you fry the rest, allowing the oil to come back up to 375°F (190°C) between each batch. 
• Once the last batch of fish is fried, increase the oil temperature to 400°F (205°C).

  Add a handful of the blanched potatoes to the oil once the oil reaches the proper temperature.
• Fry the chips for 4-5 minutes at 400°F (205°C), or until crisp and golden brown. Use your spider to remove the chips from the oil and back onto that cooling rack (over the sheetpan) to drain. 

  Toss the chips in a pinch of salt and pepper in a metal bowl after draining them. Keep the chips in a warm oven until you've fried all of the potatoes. 
• Continue frying the chips in small batches until they're all cooked. Remember to allow the oil to come back up to temperature between batches. 
• Serve the fish and chips while piping hot with a side of tartar sauce and lemon wedges.

Notes

Swaps and Substitutions:

• Instead of Russet potatoes, you can use Yukon Gold potatoes or sweet potatoes.
• You can swap the all-purpose flour for a one-to-one gluten-free flour to make this gluten-free fish and chips. 
• Replace the cornstarch with potato or tapioca starch. 
• Use your favorite lager or ale, but avoid stouts.  
• Swap the codfish out and replace it with haddock, pollock, or whiting.
• You can use frozen cod to make fish and chips if you thaw it first. Just leave it in the fridge to thaw completely and drain any liquids produced as it defrosted.

Tips and Techniques:

• Soaking the potatoes for fries removes the excess potato starch, creating crispier fries or chips.
  
• You don't ever want to add watery potatoes to hot oil. It's a sure-fire way to start a grease-fire. Make sure your potatoes are very dry.
• The oil temperature will drop by 5° when you add the potatoes, so reaching 310°F (155°C) is important in preventing the absorption of the oil, which causes the potatoes to become soggy. In theory, a temperature range between 300°F-310°F (150-155°C) is optimal. 
• Do not use salted codfish (or bacalao) for this recipe. Only use fresh codfish.
• The goal when blanching potatoes is not to create a crisp exterior on the fries. Instead, it's to cook the interior of the potatoes most of the way. 
• Adding cornstarch to the dry ingredients creates a crisper batter on your fried fish.
• You can add a tablespoon or two more flour if the batter is too thin. If the batter is too thick, thin it with more beer. 
• Dredging fish in flour soaks up any moisture from its surface. In addition to drying out the surface of the cod, dredging fish gives the batter something to stick to.
• Properly dredged fish will look ashy like it needs to put on some lotion. 
• Draining foods on a rack allows the oil to fall away from foods, leaving their coatings crisp and not soggy, but you can drain the fish on a paper towel-lined pan if you don't have a cooling rack.
• Fish and chips don't reheat well. Try to enjoy them shortly after preparing. 

Baked Chips:

1. Cut and soak the potatoes as instructed above. Pat the potatoes very dry and toss them in 2 tablespoons of oil, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, and a 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper.
2. Arrange the seasoned potatoes in a single layer with a small amount of space between each. Bake the potatoes in a 400°F (205°C) oven for 20-25 minutes. Tossing once during baking.
3. Once baked, keep them in a warm oven until you're ready to serve.

Storage and Freezing Instructions:

• Store leftover fish and chips in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• Reheat the fish and chips in a 300°F (150°C) air fryer or oven for 10 minutes on a lightly greased sheet pan until heated through.
• You can freeze fish and chips after cooling them completely, but the batter of previously frozen fish will likely be very soggy after freezing and reheating.
  1. Transfer them to a freezer-safe container and freeze them for up to 3 months.
  2. Thaw them in the fridge or reheat them straight from the freezer. Add 5-10 minutes of reheating time to account for them being frozen.  

Nutrition

Calories: 799kcalCarbohydrates: 106gProtein: 54gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 148mgSodium: 1499mgPotassium: 1158mgFiber: 4gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 256IUVitamin C: 13mgCalcium: 228mgIron: 7mg

Course Mains

Cuisine European

Keyword fish, french fries

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