English Pub Style Fish & Chips - some recipes and tips

[JadziaDax]

This thread is in response to a specific request.

English Fish and Chips

Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs. white fish fillets
2 potatoes, sliced thin
1 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. oil
2 c. flour
1 tsp. white vinegar
2 eggs
1/2 c. corn meal
1/2 c. ice water (see preparation for beer substitution)

Preparation
The first thing to do is make the batter. So in flat dish or bowl combine the oil, salt, flour, vinegar, eggs, corn meal and ice water. Stir until it looks smooth and creamy. Next in a deep fat fryer start shortening or oil heating at 400 degrees.

Roll or dip cut-up fish fillets in the batter making sure each fillet is well coated. Drop battered fillets in the fryer to cook. Now drop the potatoes slices in and cook all until golden brown. Remove and serve.

We found that using 6 ounces of beer instead of ice water worked great. Potatoes have a tendency to mingle with the fish and pick up some of the batter. Malt vinegar can be put on fish and chips before eating.

[crackpot]

<i><b>"Malt vinegar can be put on fish and chips before eating."</b></i>

Nay, it <i><b>must</b></i> be put on... *drool*
Thanks Jadz.

[Mister Coaster]

Thanks Jadziadax, I guess I need to get an oil thermometer.

If I don't have a deep fryer, can you give tips / suggestions for pan frying?

[silverback]

that sounds great...will be giving it a try...thanks

[rockzilla]

You can't really pan fry big pieces of battered fish that easily, you need a lot of oil to cover everything up and to make sure the batter is cooking in the oil, not on the bottom of the pan. You can either heat up a pot of oil which I find messy, dangerous and generally not worth the trouble, or you could probably cut the fish into fish stick sized strips and fry them in an inch or so of oil.
You don't really need an oil thermometer either, if the oil is smoking, it's too hot, if you put a drop of batter in the oil and it doesn't fizzle and spit and turn golden brown in a second or two, the oil isn't hot enough.

Good luck

[suviko]

I have always intended to try out doing fish & chips at home. Thanks for the recipes & info. Could make that as an alternative to barbeque in a rain summer day and pretend we are in England.

[Mad_Gecko]

Beer is the best subst. I gave up on the normal stuff early on, mainly cause 1/2 a can (500ml) goes to the batter and 1/2 goes to me gullet .

I've never tried the corn meal in the batter , but if I can remember it I'll give it a go.

EDIT: suviko, hehe that made me laff, its now about 27 degrees (c) here in the UK, and I'm planning a BBQ... No doubt give it about the time I want to fire up the grill it'll be pissing down ..