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Public House Fish ‘n’ Chips

Public House Fish 'n' Chips

fish

  • 2 cups (500 mL) all-purpose flour
  • 1 Tbsp (15 mL) baking powder
  • 1 tsp (5 mL) salt
  • 1/2 tsp (2 mL) garlic powder
  • 1 tsp (5 mL) white pepper
  • 1/4 tsp (1 mL) cayenne pepper
  • 1 12 oz (341 mL) bottle dark ale
  • 1 1/2 lb (750 g) halibut, tilapia or cod fillets
  • 1 cup (250 mL) cornstarch

Chips

  • 4 large Russet potatoes, sliced and soaked in water
  • 12 cups (3 L) vegetable oil

Tartar Sauce

  • 1 cup (250 mL) mayonnaise
  • 2 Tbsp (25 mL) chopped dill pickle
  • 2 Tbsp (25 mL) fresh lime juice
  • 1 Tbsp (15 mL) Limoncello
  • 1 Tbsp (15 mL) wasabi or horseradish
  • 1 tsp (5 mL) lime zest

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Makes 4 servings

The leaflet highlighting Great British Contributions to Culinary Excellence is pretty thin, but deep-frying is truly a national pastime. As the British know, when you have a good beer batter you can deep-fry anything — Mars bars, sausage, black pudding, tripe, car keys. Straight from our friends across the pond—fish and chips the way Her Majesty intended.

Making great beer batter is simple. Keep the batter as cold as possible and work in small batches. The colder the batter the bigger the reaction when it hits the hot oil, resulting in a lighter crispier batter. Working with small batches in the fryer helps keep the oil at a consistent temperature, which means the food absorbs less oil.

  1. To make batter, combine flour, baking powder, salt, garlic powder, white pepper and cayenne pepper in a large bowl. Slowly whisk in ale until well blended and smooth. Refrigerate until needed.
  2. Preheat oven to 200°F (95°C). Heat oil in a large deep pot or Dutch oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a rimmed cookie sheet with newspaper and place cooling rack on top.
  3. Drain potatoes then lay them on paper towel to soak up excess water. Working in small batches, carefully add sliced potatoes to pot and cook until soft but still pale in appearance, or for about 8 minutes. Remove potatoes and drain on a rack placed on top of prepared cookie sheet. Keep warm in oven.
  4. Ensure oil temperature has returned to 350°F (180°C). Lightly dredge fish in cornstarch and dip in batter, coating evenly. Working in small batches carefully add battered fish to pot and cook until golden, about 6 to 8 minutes, turning once. Remove fish and drain on a rack placed on top of prepared cookie sheet. Keep warm in oven.
  5. Refry potatoes until golden and crisp, about 3 minutes, then drain on newspaper. Serve with sea salt, malt vinegar, lemon wedges and tartar sauce.

Tartar Sauce

Makes about 1 1/2 cups (375 mL)

Combine tartar sauce ingredients in a medium bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve.