Cookbook:Fish and Chips

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Fish and Chips
Beer Battered Fish and Chips.jpg
Category: Fish recipes
Servings: 4
Time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: Very Difficult

Cookbook | Recipes | British Cuisine | New Zealand

Fish and chips is a popular dish in Britain, New Zealand and Australia. The traditional fish in Britain is cod, though this is likely to fall apart or fail to cook in the middle.

[edit] Ingredients

For the fish:

  • 125g/4oz plain flour
  • 125g/4oz corn flour
  • Salt
  • Enough cold water to form a batter
  • 4 cod/haddock/monkfish (or any other suitable flaky fish) fillets

For the chips:

  • 4 White Potatoes, Maris Piper preferably
  • 1 litre/1¾ pint vegetable oil for deep-frying
  • Sea salt

To Serve:

  • 1 lemon, wedged
  • Sprig of parsley, to garnish
  • Sea salt
  • Vinegar

[edit] Materials

A deep fryer is the safest way to make fish and chips, just as they do at the chipper.
Chip pans are extremely dangerous, and are a leading cause of kitchen fires; this demonstrates a simulation of a chip pan fire.

Fish and chips involves deep frying, which can be extremely dangerous – hot oil can cause severe burns and is a leading cause of kitchen fires. Safest is to use a deep fryer, and to familiarize oneself with safety prior to use. In particular, have a fire blanket immediately to hand, and do not have any children present.

Chip pans are extraordinarily dangerous, and should not be used under any circumstances – they are the leading cause of house fires in the UK, and further, may spill hot oil, causing severe burns. If you have a chip pan, please contact your local fire brigade, as they may offer to trade it in for a deep fryer, or can otherwise advise about the dangers.

[edit] Procedure

  1. Preheat the vegetable oil in a deep fryer to 180C/350F, or until a cube of bread browns in 15 seconds when added to the oil.
  2. Peel the potatoes and cut into thick wedges. Deep-fry the potatoes in batches for 6-8 minutes or until they are crisp and golden.
  3. Drain on kitchen paper. Sprinkle with sea salt and keep warm.
  4. In a bowl, whisk together the plain flour, corn flour, salt and enough cold water to form a batter.
  5. Cut the monkfish into thick slices, then coat in the batter.
  6. Cook the fish in batches, in the hot oil for 5-6 minutes, depending on the size of the fish.
  7. Remove and drain on kitchen paper.
  8. Transfer the fish and chips to serving plates and garnish with lemon wedges and sprig of parsley. Or for a fun, traditional twist place the fried fish and chips on brown paper or newsprint.
  9. Top with salt and/or vinegar.
  10. Also can be served with pickles, pickled onions, pickled eggs, and mushy peas.