Fish & chips is a true classic fish dish you can enjoy anytime, anywhere. The fried batter gives the fish a crispy crust and protects the gentle juicy flesh of the fish as it fries in the searing hot oil. And hot chips – crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside - are always a treat. Tartar sauce is a perfect side for fish and chips and the acidic flavours of the tartar sauce complement the crispy texture and full flavour of the fish and chips.
There is an ongoing discussion about what kind of fish is the best one for fish & chips – cod or haddock? I prefer haddock. The haddock is sweeter, firmer, flakier and a bit drier – making it the perfect choice for fish and chips.
- Author : Gutti Winther
- Category : Dinner
- Cuisine : British/Nordic
- Yield : 2 servings
Ingredients
- 2-4 fillets of haddock (500 gr.)
- 250 gr. + 75 gr. of wheat flour
- 3-4 large potatoes
- Oil for deep-frying
- 1 bottle of lager beer (33 cl.)
- 4 egg yolks
- 2.5 dl of rapeseed oil (or another vegetable oil with a neutral taste)
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- A handful of chopped pickled gherkins
- 2 tablespoon of capers, chopped
- A handful of parsley, chopped (you can use any fresh herbs of your choice e.g. dill or tarragon)
- Zest and juice of one organic lemon
- 2 tablespoons of mustard (Dijon or whole grain mustard)
- White wine vinegar or Apple cider vinegar.
- Salt
Instructions
- Salt the fillets of haddock. This will drain the excess water out of the flesh.
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into chunky sticks approximately 1 cm thick. Put the chips in a bowl of cold water and add a dash of vinegar. Leave the chips in the water for about 10-15 minutes to get the starch out of the potatoes. This will help the outside of the chips to develop their signature crunch.
- Heat the frying oil to 180º in a pot or a deep fryer.
- While the chips are soaking, make the tartar sauce.
- Start by making a mayonnaise. Whisk the egg yolk with a pinch of salt until the yolk starts to thicken. Add the oil gradually, whisking constantly, and slowly dribble in the oil until the mayonnaise is thick and the oil is combined.
- Add the shallot, the gherkins, capers, parsley, mustard and the lemon zest. Season the tartar sauce with lemon juice and vinegar and stir it all together. Start off with only half the lemon juice and a little dash of vinegar, tasting as you go, as the other ingredients in the sauce have sour flavours.
- When the chips have been soaked, drain off the water. Put the chips in a pot of boiling water and boil for 7-8 minutes.
- For the batter, pour the beer into a bowl and sieve 250 grams of flour into the beer, add a pinch of salt and whip the batter together. The batter should be thick and foamy.
- Dab the haddock fillets dry with a piece of paper or dishcloth. Put the extra 75 gr. of flour on a plate and season with a pinch of salt. Coat the fillets in flour and dust off any excess flour.
- When the potatoes have cooked, drain them thoroughly and dry with paper towels or a dishcloth.
- Now it time to fry the fish and chips.
- Start with the haddock. Dip the fillets into the batter, covering them thoroughly. Fry in the oil for 3-5 minutes until the crust is crisp. The cooking time depends on how thick the fillets are – loins are thicker and need more time than tail pieces.
- Then fry the chips for 7-8 minutes until they are golden and crunchy.
- Put the fish and chips on a piece of paper to drain off the excess oil and sprinkle with salt, before transferring to a serving plate. Garnish with lemon wedges, slices of radishes and dill and serve with the tartar sauce.
