Crispy Beer Battered Fish And Chips

Homemade crispy beer battered fish and chips with tartare sauce, this blue cod recipe makes the perfect Friday night dinner.

Blue cod is a popular choice for fish and chips here in NZ. The flesh is firm but delicate and when cooked right it remains moist and delicious. Using a quality beer adds great flavour to the batter.

Want to know the chefs secret for perfecting that crisp batter, let us show you how!

Ingredients

For the beer battered fish:

• Blue cod fillets - or a firm but flaky fish that is sustainable in your region. A per person portion is about 150g.
• Beer - we used a 'Pan head' pale ale - choose your favourite but quality will create best flavour here.
• Plain flour - for the batter and extra for dusting the fish
• Turmeric (ground) - adds a nice colour to the batter
• A pinch of salt
• And a lemon.

For homemade rustic chips:

• Potatoes - go for a starchy potato for best texture, Maris pipers, Russet, King Edwards or a Yukon gold all work well.
• Oil - canola or any non flavoured vegetable oil.
• Spice mix - smoked paprika, dried rosemary, cumin seed, salt and pepper.

For the tartare sauce:

• Mayonnaise
• Gherkins
• Capers
• Lemon
• Fresh chopped
• Worcestershire sauce.

How to make beer battered fish

Step 1 - Prepare the batter.

It's important to let the batter rest and chill in the fridge, so prepare it ahead of time. Simple whisk together the beer, flour, turmeric and pinch of salt, until the batter is smooth. Cover it and place in the fridge.

Step 2 - Batter the fish.

Half fill a medium size pot with oil and heat on the stove until it reaches 180 °C / 355 °F.

Place 100g of flour on to a plate and season with a good pinch of salt and pepper. Dust each piece of fish in the seasoned flour. Then dredge the fish in the batter giving it a good coating, wipe any excess batter off the fish on the side of the bowl as you pull it out.

Step 3 - Cook the fish.

Once the oil is hot enough, gentle lay the fillets into the hot oil and fry until the golden is golden and crisp. This will take around 2-3 minutes, once cooked remove the fillets and place on a paper towel. This will allow absorb excess oil from the fish.

That's it, serve with your sides and enjoy!

How to make homemade chunky chips

To make delicious crisp chips at home, cut your potatoes into thick chips, then place in a large bowl. Add the spice mix and oil, then mix well, making sure all chips are make coated.

#Pro chef tip

Heat a cast iron dish (or heavy bottom oven proof dish) on the stove until hot. Add the seasoned chips and let them crisp up a little then place them into a preheated 200 °C / 390 °F fan oven.

Stir now and again, cook until chips are crisp and potato is cooked through. This will take 30 - 40 minutes depending on the thickness of your chips.

Homemade tartare sauce

Homemade tartare sauce so super simple and delicious to make. This element can be prepared ahead and stored in an airtight container in the fridge.

Simply add the mayonnaise, diced gherkins, chopped capers, lemon juice, chopped fresh parsley and worcestershire sauce to a bowl and mix well. Then pop in the fridge, this flavour packed sauce goes amazingly with the crisp battered fish. YUM!

(Check out the recipe card below for qualities)

How to make fish batter crispy?

Our recipe creates a delicious beer batter full of flavour. But for the perfect battered fish you want to create a crisp finish to the batter.

What's the secret to creating the perfect batter?!

#Pro chef tip

Make sure your batter is cold! So pre chill it in the fridge. Then make sure your oil is hot! It's that simple!

What fish is best for homemade fish and chips?

We love blue cod but make sure you choose a fish that's sustainable for your region. For great homemade fish and chips, choose a firm but flakey fish.

We love eating fish and seafood but we want to make sure that generations to come are able to enjoy it too. Selecting fish thats sustainable is more important then ever. We also recommend getting to know you local suppliers and finding out how the fish is being caught.

Did you try the dish? Please leave a rating and review below. And if you have any questions about the recipe, feel free to ask us in the comment section below.

Happy cooking!