Can I make fish and chips ahead of time?

This really is a recipe that needs to be eaten right away - the fish won't reheat well and you'll lose the crispiness of the batter. However, there are ways you can get ahead so that the actual cooking is easier. For the chips, you can par-boil the potatoes and toss them in polenta up to 24 hours before you want to cook them (just pop them into the fridge). You can mix the dry ingredients for your batter ahead of time, then mix through the beer when you're ready to fry.

Is there an alternative to beer?

You could use ice-cold soda water instead of beer for an alcohol-free version.

What else could I serve with the fish and chips?

In my book tartare sauce , tomato sauce (ketchup) and lots of fresh lemon wedges are non-negotiables, but you can bulk out the meal with fresh salads - I like something crunchy and fresh like an Asian slaw , shaved zucchini salad or smacked cucumber salad . Soft garlic butter dinner rolls or no-knead focaccia are also great options, served with roasted garlic butter or wild garlic butter on the side.

The BEST Beer Battered Fish and Chips

Description

You need just a handful of everyday ingredients to make shatteringly crispy beer-battered fish and chips to rival your favourite takeaway. Plus, I’m sharing my tricks for foolproof deep-frying at home. Serve with tartare (or tomato) sauce and lots of lemon wedges.

Ingredients

Scale

For the chips –

1kg/2lb potatoes (Agria, Maris piper, Yukon gold or another roasting potato)
3 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon polenta
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon flaky salt

For the beer-battered fish –

4 white fish fillets (cod, haddock, tilapia, hoki, hake, snapper, tarakihi are good options)
½ cup plain flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
150ml (2/3 cup) ice-cold beer
Flaky sea salt

To serve –

Tomato sauce (ketchup)
Tartare sauce
Lemon wedges

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Instructions

Par-boil the potatoes. Heat your oven to 250C/480F, then add ¼ cup of olive oil to a large oven-safe dish or tray and pop it into the oven while you prep the potatoes. Chop your potatoes into thick chips (I cut them into quarters lengthways, then cut them into strips). Add them to a large pot with 2 teaspoons of salt and cover with cold water. Place over high heat, bring to a boil and simmer for 4 minutes. Drain them in a colander over the sink, then put them back into the dry pot. Scatter over 1 tablespoon of polenta and give the pot a good shake to coat the chips.
Cook the chips. Once the oil has been heating for at least 15 minutes, remove the tray from the oven and carefully pour the chips into the tray. Toss the chips with 1 teaspoon of salt, then cook for 35 minutes, turning the chips a couple of times throughout cooking.
Prepare the fish and batter, then heat the oil. While the chips are cooking, remove the fish from the fridge and use a paper towel to pat the fillets dry. Add 1/2 cup flour, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon paprika and 1/2 teaspoon of ground turmeric to a large mixing bowl. When the chips have 15 minutes left of cooking time, pour your neutral oil into a large high-sided saucepan (the oil should come about 1/3 of the way up the side of the pot), then pop over high heat. Set a wire rack over an oven tray, to drain your fish on once cooked.
Check your oil and finish the batter. Once the oil hits 180C/360F, it’s ready for you to start frying. I HIGHLY recommend using a thermometer to measure this for the best accuracy, but you can do the chopstick test if you don’t have one. Hold a chopstick (or the handle of a wooden spoon) upright in your pot of oil. If the oil vigorously bubbles up around it, it’s good to go. At this point, pour 2/3 cup of ice-cold beer into your mixing bowl and whisk to form a thick batter.
Fry the fish. Dunk a piece of fish in the batter, coating both sides, then carefully lower into the hot oil. I find the best way to do this is SLOWLY – hold one end of the fish as the other end goes into the oil and hold it there for about 5 seconds, then release it. This will help the batter shock and start setting, so it won’t stick to the side or bottom of the pot. Depending on the size of your pot, you can probably fry 2 pieces at once, but you don’t want to crowd the pot – this lowers the oil temperature and will give you soggy batter. Fry the fish for about 3 minutes on each side, until puffy and deep golden. Carefully remove the fish with a spatula or fish slice and place it on your prepared wire rack. Scatter with the flaky salt.
Garnish and serve. At this point, your chips should be looking golden and crispy on the outside. Remove them from the oven, then toss with 1 teaspoon of flaky salt. Pile the chips onto a serving platter, then top with the beer-battered fish. Serve with tomato sauce, tartare sauce and lots of lemon wedges on the side.

Notes

STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS: Fish and chips is a recipe you need to eat right after cooking it. Over time the batter will start to go soggy. You can store any leftovers in the fridge (they’ll be fine for 2 days), but they’ll never be as crispy as they were after frying. The best way to reheat I’ve found, is on a wire rack in the oven for about 8 minutes at 150C/300F. The chips will be fine for about 4 days in the fridge, and you can reheat them in the microwave or in the oven for 10 minutes at 150C/300F.

INGREDIENT NOTES: If you want to make an alcohol-free version, use ice-cold soda water rather than beer. It’s best to use a light lager here – anything too dark will impact the flavour of the batter.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS: Tartare sauce, tomato sauce (ketchup) and lots of lemon wedges are imperative, but you could serve the fish and chips with a selection of fresh salads (this crunchy Asian slaw or smacked cucumber salad is great), and some quick, soft garlic butter dinner rolls.

Prep Time: 15
Cook Time: 35
Category: fakeaways
Method: stove top
Cuisine: new zealand

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 piece of fish