Fish & chips: make this typically English dish yourself
Without a doubt, the best fish & chips are at Poppies in London. Unfortunately, I could not get my hands on the authentic recipe during my visit, but I am happy to share with you my recipe for fish & chips.
Some tips for the perfect fish & chips
What type of fish do I use?
For fish & chips, you should definitely not use oily fish such as mackerel or salmon. Nor should it be fish that dries out easily or is too thin, such as sole or turbot.
The best choices are cod, halibut, pollock and haddock. Hake and whiting are also perfect for fish and chips
What do I look out for in fish?
Of course fresh fish is the best fish. You can also use frozen fish which is usually deep frozen on the boat itself right after being caught. Make sure to thaw frozen fish in the refrigerator to prevent spoilage.
The size of the fish pieces matters. They should not be too large nor too thick. You want the fish to be cooked through when the crust is golden. Therefore, the pieces should be no larger than 8 x 4 cm and no thicker than 2 cm.
Finally, the fish should be thoroughly dry before dipping it in the flour and the dough.
What flour do I use?
The flour is key for crispiness. The higher the gluten content, the tougher the dough. For fish & chips, you want a light dough that does not absorb too much fat and moisture. Therefore, opt for flour of soft wheat, type 00. Also, do not process the dough too long. The gluten in the wheat develops as you work the dough.
For better results, replace some of the wheat flour with corn flour or rice flour. These contain no gluten, making your dough very crispy during frying. If you are gluten intolerant, you can also use only corn or rice flour. The result will be less pretty, though. The wheat flour gives your crust a nice golden color. Without it the crust will look rather pale
Anything else?
You can add beer or sparkling water to the dough. The yeast in the beer gives a light and thin crust.
Dust the fish first with a thin layer of flour so that the dough sticks well.
In addition, the dough must be well-chilled. Make sure the beer is very cold before mixing it with the flour. The temperature shock will enhance the crispness of the crust. Therefore, do not make the dough too long in advance.
The oil should be hot enough. You want the dough to fry and not boil in the oil. Do not fry too many pieces of fish at once. This makes the temperature of the oil drop suddenly, preventing the dough from expanding nicely.
Let’s get started!
Fish & chips for 4 people
Ingredients
For the fish:
- 700 grams fish fillets
- 2 tablespoons rice or corn flour
- Pepper and salt
For the dough:
- 100 grams type 00 wheat flour
- 50 grams rice or corn flour
- 250 ml blond beer, well-chilled
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
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Step 1: prepare the fish
Cut the fish into pieces. These should be no larger than 8 cm by 4 cm, with a maximum thickness of 2 cm. Pat the fish dry and season with salt and pepper. Dust with the flour and then set aside.
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Step 2: making the dough
Start by mixing all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Then add in some of the beer and stir well. Bit by bit, mix in more beer until you have the thickness of a pancake batter.
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Step 3: fry the fish
Preheat the fryer to 190°C.
Dip a piece of fish into the dough and bake it for about three minutes. The crust should have a nice golden color. You should not bake more than 3 pieces at a time.
Drain the fish briefly on kitchen paper, then transfer onto a cooling rack. That way the fried fish will not become moist and limp.
Time to enjoy these authentic fish and chips! Serve them with fries and a tartar sauce, or English style with malt vinegar, salt and ketchup.
![SG 38 fishandchips]()
