# Fish and Chips?



## ncage1974 (Mar 29, 2007)

Ok i am going to try my hand this weekend to try to make authentic fish and chips again. I tried it long time ago but it it didn't turn out very well. Id like some pointers, especially from our UK members, on what makes a good authentic fish and chips. I just watched throwdown on food network and i watched very closely at the guy that bobby was competing against. Unfortunatly they only posted Bobby's recipe and not this guys. Bobby's recipe doesn't look all that great. Some things i picked up from the show is that you don't want you batter to be to thick (since i don't have the feel of this its hard for me to determine). This guy also used "Seltzer water" which i don't if its that easy to find or not. Anyways anything in general you can point out would be appreciated but here are my questions ive came up with:

*Fish*
1) What temperature do you want to use? Do you want to change the  temperature when your frying the fish or do you keep it constant? 

2) I know batter is key to fish and chips. You want to taste the fish and want a light and crispy batter. It looks like this guy just used Wheat Flour, Seltzer water, and a little red food coloring. Is wheat flour traditional? Ive seen a lot of recipes use rice flour. What is a good way for a beginner to know what consistency the batter should be?

3) Is seltzer water traditional? If i can't find it is there anything i could replace it with? How about a beer batter?

*Fries*
 How big would you say to cut the fries. All of them seem to use the double fry method which ive used more than once and the fries were not as crispy as i expected

I will be getting Malt Vinegar, Make Tarter sauce and probably use a lemon (even though i know its not authentic but i love lemon on fish)

So any other tips or a very good recipe would also be appreciated.

thanks,
ncage


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## Andy M. (Mar 29, 2007)

I've used this recipe and it was very good!

This recipe calls for beer but you can sub club soda which is another name for seltzer.

I cut fries to 1/2"


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## TATTRAT (Mar 29, 2007)

batter is light and crisp, I have seen and had it like a light tempura, and a light batter...I'll see if I can get my mums recipe to pass along.

As for the chips, thick cut, lots of malt.

what about the mushy peas though


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## ncage1974 (Mar 29, 2007)

Thanks guys for the reply. I have been doing some searching and it looks like one of the secrets to the chips is not to use a potato with high sugar content...so it looks like idaho are out. Maybe Yukons or Reds would work.

Ncage


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## ncage1974 (Mar 29, 2007)

Now decisions decisions. I have been doing some googling and some recipes have egg. This looks bad to me. It looks like the batter gets way way to dark when you add egg to the batter. Another thing is it seems like there has to be some type of levaning in the batter (baking powder or Self Rising Flour). Maybe that guy on throwndown didn't use levaning because the bubbles in the seltzer water act as levaning?

One difference i have seen from the recipes is that some tell you not to overwork the batter and some clumbs in the batter is good. Others tell you to beat the batter with a at high speed so you can incorporate air into the batter. So i don't know which is correct here.


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## lulu (Mar 30, 2007)

I have not cooked fish and chips, but I am a big eater of them!

The batter should be a darkish gold and crisp.  The chips should be chunky (not littke crisp fries).  The ideal chip is crisp outside and melty soft inside..

Beer is often used in the batter, but if you prefer a lighter selzter batter my local chippy in Somerset add a tiny bit of lemon juice too, you can barely taste it, and you would not know it was there if you weren't used to it, but it lightens the taste.  I hate greasy fish and chips....yuk, and the whole thing needs a perkled gerkin or onion or mushy peas.  I ignored the mushy peas for years until a few years ago and they are simply gorgeous.

Sorry I cannot be more practical help.


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## Snoop Puss (Mar 30, 2007)

Have a look at this:

Waitrose.com recipes - Fish and Chips - Recipe Search

The description is obviously for people who don't cook much, but you might find it useful.

As for malt vinegar on chips, I loathe the stuff! Try some separately on a couple of chips before dousing your whole dinner just in case you don't like the cough-inducing smell!

And I agree with lulu about mushy peas. They don't look or even sound very appetising but they are in fact delicious. I tried them for the first time just last year and was impressed.


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## lulu (Mar 30, 2007)

I am a malt vinegar for fish and chips kinda girl, but also love other vinegars.  A mulberry vinegar was a nice change a few months ago.


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## Andy M. (Mar 30, 2007)

The standard for french fries is the russet (Idaho) potato.  It's a high starch potato.


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## Barb L. (Mar 30, 2007)

Andy M. said:
			
		

> The standard for french fries is the russet (Idaho) potato.  It's a high starch potato.



I agree, they are the best, for fries (chips)  !


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## YT2095 (Mar 30, 2007)

maris piper make great chips, but any really starchy spud will do the trick, it`s also best to pich the unwashed "dirty" potatoes too, not the ones that are pre-washed, as the starches turn to sugars and you`re left with a limp soggy chip.
it`s important that when they`re peeled you wash the starch off and dry them well, and then Blanch them on a lower temp than you`de fry them at, they`re done when you can squish them between your fingers.
at this stage you can leave them out to cool or even refrigerate/freeze them.
the next step is to crank up the oil heat and finish them off, to golden brown, they should make a nice rustling sound when shook in the basket.
drain on kitchen towel and serve up


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## mugsy27 (Mar 30, 2007)

dumb question...but is an idaho/russett potato just a generic baking potato?

u all have me jonezing for some fish and chips, so i think im gonna try andy's recipie tonight!


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## mugsy27 (Mar 30, 2007)

also..what kind (if any) of dip or sauce do is used (traditionaly) for the fish?  tar tar??


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## YT2095 (Mar 30, 2007)

salt and malt vinigar then wrapped up in Newspaper is the Correct way.

Trust me, I`m an Englishman, we Know these things


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## mugsy27 (Mar 30, 2007)

hey YT...can u plz clarify tihs:

it`s also best to pich the unwashed "dirty" potatoes too, not the ones that are pre-washed"

what do u mean my pich...throw out??


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## YT2095 (Mar 30, 2007)

it was a Typo (sorry) it should be "PICK"  my bad


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## Caine (Mar 30, 2007)

Why is it that all the red, white, fingerling, yukon, and purple potatoes are cleaned up and displayed in the produce cases, while the poor lowly russet potatoes are just piled up in a bin on the floor, all covered with dirt, slashed by the potato digger's spade, looking all embarrassed to even be there?

Here is my favorite beer batter for the fish part (I think Pacific red snapper is best!) of fish & chips:


*Beer Batter*​ 
*Ingredients:*
2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 eggs
12 ounces beer (I use Corona because poeople keep bringing it to my house, and I can't stand drinking it!)


*Directions:* 
Mix all ingredients in large bowl, beat until smooth. Allow to settle for about 15 minutes, then dredge each fillet in flour, dip into batter to coat, GENTLY place in a deep fryer with oil heated to 360F and fry until golden brown and crisp.


As far as the chips go, find symetrical russet pottoes, peel, and cut into strips the length of the potato, about 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch thick. Deep fry at 330F until cooked through, then remove from oil and allow to cool. Reset oil temperature to 375 F, then refry cooled potatoes until golden brown.


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## college_cook (Mar 30, 2007)

Use regular Idaho potatoes for your chips.  I like to cut mine about 1/2 an inch wide, and about 1/8 - 1/4 of an inch thick.  You're going to blanch them in 250 degree oil so that the outside doesn't crisp but the inside cooks through.  Let  them cool, and prepare your fish in the meantime.  To finish your fries, cook them in 350 degree oil until crispy.


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## ncage1974 (Mar 30, 2007)

*my first attempt*

Here it is:







So what do you guys think? Did i do alright. I found out good cod was really hard to find around here. We have some specialized fish chops but i didn't go there. Anyways i went to a bigger grocery store here that is known to have things that most of the other stores don't have. I did find fresh cold fillets but they were $8.00 a pound...i was like WOW. I might as well ordered lobster. Anyways i did buy it because i didn't want my attempt to be screwed by the fact that i had bad fish. I kind of used a combination of recipes: Part AB Recipe, Part Tyler Florence, and part of a recipe i found on recipezaar. I used mostly guidlines from AB recipe but i used coating the fish in rice flour from tyler and i added malt vinegar to the batter like the recipe on recipezaar called for. 

Unbenounced to me i actually like malt vinegar on the fish more than lemon. I could tell i bought good quality fish because it was nice and flakey and didn't have any after taste at all. I think the batter turned out nice but im thinking maybe i would like soda water/seltzer even better. 

As you can tell in the picture the potatoes are quite dark but this is the way i lilke them. I like them as crispy as i can get them.

Ncage


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## Andy M. (Mar 30, 2007)

The fish and chips look great.  How did they taste?


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## attie (Mar 30, 2007)

All good answers for you to ponder ncage, I cook fish and chips for a living. Here's a photo of a tray of chips par-cooked, ready to finnish off.






 I cut them 1" x 1/2" and lightly batter them first. 
I think that it is up to the individual as to what sort of batter to use, I've given up on making my own so use a commercial one for convenience. Beer batter is popular, plain soda water, lots of different ways to do it and each person seems to make it a bit different. Flour is important, above 10% energy is good.
My cooking temp for battered fish is 190c and 180c for chips 
By lightly battering the chips they will not shrink and hold at their origional size and shape thus making them much lighter inside.
For us we have no choice but to use Sebago potatoes which are fine, but, you much watch that sugar content, to much sugar and they will go very dark [the sugar burns] on the _second _cook before they are cooked through.
Enjoy your F&C's, great food


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## ncage1974 (Mar 30, 2007)

Andy M. said:
			
		

> The fish and chips look great.  How did they taste?



I think it tasted pretty good. I think its a good first attempt but i have more cod in my frig for tomorrow. I am going to try to use soda water. I think maybe the batter could have been a little lighter and i think soda water would acomplish that.


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## lulu (Mar 31, 2007)

Cod is not the only fish for fish'n'chips.   It should, arguably, be made with any flaky white fish, and, historically speaking, the cheapest good quality of those that is available.  With cod stocks being low we are more and more being encouraged to revert to other old favourites.  Plaice  and haddock are very common alternatives and no less esteemed than cod.  

Looks delicious though....but you did not have the peas or the pickled gerkin or onion!  They are essential!


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## YT2095 (Mar 31, 2007)

Colley and Hake are also very inexpensive and just as nice as any other white flakey fish too


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## Barb L. (Mar 31, 2007)

Looks yummy Ncage, love fish and chips --great job - Congrats. !


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## Guts (Mar 31, 2007)

ncage1974 ​ 
I'm sure they taste as good as they look!​ 

I found this and I'm not sure if it will be any help?​ 

I make my fish and chips with cod, only because I catch my self. Halibut makes a nice battered fish also.​ 

*HOW TO MAKE PERFECT FRENCH FRIES **AND STRAW POTATOES*​


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## attie (Mar 31, 2007)

ncage1974 said:
			
		

> I think it tasted pretty good. I think its a good first attempt but i have more cod in my frig for tomorrow. I am going to try to use soda water. I think maybe the batter could have been a little lighter and i think soda water would acomplish that.


Sorry ncage, somehow I went straight past your photo, yep, looks great, and you are right, soda water will help. Notice how the chips shrink a little? the batter will stop that and they will stay more even in colour.


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## Andy M. (Mar 31, 2007)

Actually, any carbonated beverage will give you a lighter batter.  I think the AB recipre calls for beer.


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## attie (Mar 31, 2007)

Cool post Guts

[There is an opinion among cooks that slightly old potatoes make the best textured fries. Look for slightly wrinkled skin, and slightly soft potatoes]

I tend to agree, maybe not quiet to the wrinkle stage though.


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## ncage1974 (Mar 31, 2007)

*this is what ive been looking for....*

As i promised i made fish and chips tonight again. This time i swaped out the beer with club soda. I was having trouble finding club soda at walmart. It wasn't in the soda section. I looked in the water section and they had carbonated water but i didn't know if it was the same thing. Thankfully the guy who stocks the section was there and i asked him. Well it was located by the hard liquor and thats why i couldn't find it. Anways i made the fish and chips almost identical to the night before but used club soda and this is the exactly the fish i have been looking for. It was light and crispy and the taste of the fish came through. I don't know what authentic fish and chips taste like since ive never been to the uk but boy was this good. With a little lemon, malt vinegar, and tarter sauce. I have to say i did modify the recipes i have seen. First i used a little less baking powder than most call for. They usually call for 1 tablespoon for 2 cups of flour which i think is to much. I used between 1-1.5 tsp. If they called for egg....i omited it. Also i made the batter much lighter than what was in the recipes. 1 part flour / 1 part liquid is to thick. I made the batter so it wasn't dripping all over the place but just thick enough to cling to the fish. Anyways you guys/gals know i always have a picture so here goes:






Ncage


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## attie (Mar 31, 2007)

Exellent, I'll have the piece on the left ---- thank you very much


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