British Fish & Chips (Printable)

Golden crispy battered fish served with thick-cut fries and malt vinegar accents.

# What You'll Need:

→ Battered Fish

01 - 4 skinless, boneless white fish fillets (cod or haddock), approximately 5.3 ounces each
02 - 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
03 - 3 tablespoons cornstarch
04 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
05 - 1 teaspoon sea salt
06 - 1 cup cold sparkling water or beer
07 - 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
08 - Sunflower or vegetable oil, for deep frying

→ Chips

09 - 28 ounces russet or Maris Piper potatoes, peeled and cut into thick fries
10 - 1 teaspoon sea salt
11 - Sunflower or vegetable oil, for frying

→ To Serve

12 - Malt vinegar or lemon wedges
13 - Tartar sauce (optional)
14 - Peas or mushy peas (optional)

# How To Make It:

01 - Place cut potatoes in cold water and soak for 15 to 30 minutes. Drain thoroughly and pat dry with a clean towel. Heat oil to 300°F and fry potatoes in batches for 4 to 5 minutes until tender but not colored. Remove and drain on paper towels.
02 - Whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Gradually add cold sparkling water or beer, whisking until the batter is smooth and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
03 - Increase oil temperature to 375°F. Fry the par-cooked potatoes in batches for 2 to 3 minutes until golden and crispy. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with sea salt.
04 - Pat fish fillets dry and lightly dust with flour. Dip each fillet into the batter, allowing excess to drip off. Carefully lower into hot oil and fry for 5 to 7 minutes, turning once, until golden brown and crisp. Cook in batches if needed. Remove and drain on a wire rack or paper towels.
05 - Serve hot battered fish alongside thick-cut fries, accompanied by malt vinegar or lemon wedges and optional tartar sauce or mushy peas.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The double-fry technique means you'll get fish so crispy on the outside yet impossibly tender inside that you'll wonder why you ever ordered takeaway again.
  • Once you taste homemade chips—the kind with fluffy interiors and shatteringly crisp edges—you'll understand why this dish has survived centuries of British dining.
  • You can have restaurant-quality results in under an hour without any fancy equipment beyond a good heavy pot.
02 -
  • The temperature of your oil is everything—I learned this the hard way by trying to rush things at too-high heat and ending up with burnt exteriors and raw fish interiors, so invest in a simple thermometer and trust it.
  • Wet fish and wet potatoes will splatter and steam instead of fry, so that patting-dry step isn't optional, no matter how tedious it feels.
  • The batter needs to be cold and used immediately after mixing, which means you should have your fish ready to go before you even start whisking the flour.
03 -
  • Use a thermometer without question—it's the single biggest difference between mediocre and excellent results, and they cost almost nothing.
  • If you're cooking for more than one or two people, keep finished chips and fish warm in a low oven while you finish batches, rather than letting everything get cold on the same plate.
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