# Fish choice for deep fry/fish n' chips?



## giggler (Jul 3, 2008)

What are good choices for deep frying?

At my store they usually have thin fillets. they call them "sole", but I'm pretty sure they're Flounder.. they actually work quite well, but they're so thin, you wind up eating more breading than fish...

one time they had "Cod" fillets, worked really well and a much "thicker" cut of fish... very good, but pricey, and they don't have that often..

This week they had "halibut", so I'll try that this weekend, but just noticed the large fillet has skin on one side. Do I need to remove that, or just fry it too?

Thanks, Eric, Austin Tx.


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## bowlingshirt (Jul 3, 2008)

giggler said:


> At my store they usually have thin fillets. they call them "sole", but I'm pretty sure they're Flounder.. they actually work quite well, but they're so thin, you wind up eating more breading than fish...


 
With thin fillets, I prefer to dredge them in seasoned flour and pan fry as opposed to deep fry. You'll have a bit thinner crust that won't overwhelm the fish.


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## TATTRAT (Jul 3, 2008)

For fish and chips, cod. Halibut is a great sub.

Fried snapper, grouper, mahi...all winners in my book.

Fried orange roughy is quite nice too.


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## Uncle Bob (Jul 3, 2008)

Catfish..................


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## GrillingFool (Jul 3, 2008)

yeah catfish!
Flounder is popular in the Southern restaurants...


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## Maverick2272 (Jul 3, 2008)

Hmmm..... catfish yum!! Our American Legion always used Walleye in their fish fry every Friday night, good eats.


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## attie (Jul 3, 2008)

giggler said:
			
		

> they call them "sole", but I'm pretty sure they're Flounder.


Very little difference in taste if any, basically one grows bigger than the other.


> This week they had "halibut", so I'll try that this weekend, but just noticed the large fillet has skin on one side. Do I need to remove that, or just fry it too?


Personally I would but it's up to you, the breading won't stick to the skin very well.


			
				Uncle Bob said:
			
		

> Catfish.....


How did I know someone would suggest that 
We're not a very big Catfish nation apart from what's imported and sold as Bassa, any caught locally seems to get used as crab pot bait or thrown back


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## Adillo303 (Jul 3, 2008)

Giggler, I don't know where you are, but, Halibut is expensive here. I would go with the cod. If you have the Halibut already, try this with it.

450 for 20 minutes in a deep dish pan, flood with sour cream and dill and another 20 min. I don't think you will be disapointed.

AC


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## Constance (Jul 3, 2008)

I like cod and catfish both for deep-frying. About any fish will be good though, as long as you don't overcook the thinner fillets. 
My husband used to fish for bass, and they made wonderful fillets for deep-frying.

PS. I should have read the last couple of posts. You can't go wrong with the cod, Attie. Squeeze a bit of lemon or lime juice over it before you bread it.


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## Barb L. (Jul 3, 2008)

Yes Uncle Bob ! catfish -, cod, tilapia, orange roughy and pollock are what I usually have - yum !!


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## Uncle Bob (Jul 3, 2008)

Sac-a-lait......Bream......Bass


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## Jeff G. (Jul 3, 2008)

We just had our fish fry at a club I belong to. 

We purchased ocean perch, breaded it in a cornmeal breading and dropped them in a deep frier(outdoor propane turkey cookers).  The trick is making sure your oil is hot but not smoking.


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## attie (Jul 3, 2008)

Constance said:
			
		

> Attie. Squeeze a bit of lemon or lime juice over it before you bread it.


Certainly will give it a go, thanks for that Constance

In my opinion Bassa is fine for restaurant and home use when it's eaten immediately but with my situation where it's a take out and could be eaten a 1/2 hour later it doesn't work. The fish seems to keep cooking and goes very soft with no texture.


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## Chicks (Jul 3, 2008)

Catfish is good anyway you cook it, fried of course but my favorite is Catfish Picatta, YUM !!!!!
Cin


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## kitchenelf (Jul 3, 2008)

attie said:


> We're not a very big Catfish nation



They are just called orange roughy in your neck of the woods!


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## college_cook (Jul 3, 2008)

Cod is the traditional choice for Fish 'n Chips, but I really really like halibut for fish 'n chips (though, IMO halibut is much too pricey and delicious to be used for fish n' chips- in most case I prefer to sear it and pan roast, I love it natural flavor).  My absolute favorite fish for fish n' chips has got be freshwater bass, but I don't know if that's sold in stores anywhere.  I had it during a fishing trip in Wisconsin once; from lake to plate in about 2 hours.  Amazing!


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## YT2095 (Jul 4, 2008)

Hake or Coley are good stand-ins for cod and it`s much less expensive.


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## attie (Jul 4, 2008)

kitchenelf said:


> They are just called orange roughy in your neck of the woods!



 I'm sorry but I disagree with you kitchenelf, Orange Roughy is marketed as such  and is a totally different fish which we import from New Zealand.   

Nobody here targets Catfish and there is no such industry, the only area it shows up in any quantity is in the Gulf of Carpentaria where it was once marketed as "Gulf Cod" but that industry faltered once people found out it was Catfish.

Catfish sells here because it's marketed as Bassa and also because of the price, it was once marketed as "Pacific Dory" but that didn't work.


Bassa has made noticeable inroads in to the take out shops in South East Queensland and northern New South Wales but once it is cooked it is sold as Cod. 

The re-naming of fish really gets under my skin, I for one will never sell imported fish, yet others will sell imported cheap rubbish from Asia under a local name.


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## Zooy (Jul 4, 2008)

I enjoy halibut for my fish and chips but I don 't buy fresh fish. I buy the frozen stuff from the store, if I'm buying fresh from a fish market, cod it is.


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## Merinda (Jul 5, 2008)

Walleye!


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