Classic British Fish and Chips (Beer‑Battered Cod & Double‑Fried Chips)
Crisp, golden beer‑battered cod with thick, fluffy double‑fried chips — the proper British seaside combo. Includes quick tartare and mushy peas so you can plate it like a chippy at home.
This is the proper home‑made take on the British classic: a light, crisp beer batter wrapped round flaky cod and served alongside thick, fluffy chips. It’s comfort food with a crunchy attitude.
Make it for a weekend treat, a rainy‑day supper or when you want to impress guests with something nostalgic but not fiddly. The two‑stage frying is the secret—soft inside, gloriously crisp outside.
I give optional mushy peas and tartare so you can plate it like a chippy; skip them and you still have a killer fish and chips dinner.
Ingredients
- 1.2 kg maris piper or floury potatoes — peeled (or scrubbed if you prefer skins on), about 1.2 kg for 4 servings
- 4 pieces fresh cod fillets — approx 150–200 g each, skinless and pin-boned
- 200 g plain (all-purpose) flour - batter
- 100 g plain (all-purpose) flour - dusting — for dusting the fish
- 10 ml baking powder
- 5 ml fine sea salt (for batter)
- 0 ml cayenne pepper — optional, for a faint heat
- 1 large egg
- 330 ml cold sparkling water or lager — use beer for classic flavour, sparkling water for alcohol-free
- 2 1/2 l vegetable oil (sunflower or rapeseed) — enough for deep frying (adjust to your pan/fryer)
- flaky sea salt — to finish, to taste
- 1 piece lemon — cut into wedges to serve
- malt vinegar — to serve, to taste
- 300 g frozen peas (for mushy peas, optional) — or fresh peas
- 15 g butter (for mushy peas, optional)
- fresh mint (optional) — a few leaves, chopped (optional in mushy peas)
- 150 g mayonnaise (for tartare, optional) — or shop-bought tartare
- 30 ml gherkin — finely chopped, for tartare
- 15 ml capers — chopped, for tartare (optional)
- 15 ml lemon juice (for tartare)
- 15 ml table salt (for parboil) — to add to the parboiling water
Equipment
- deep-fat fryer or large heavy-bottomed saucepan (for deep frying)
- candy/oil thermometer
- slotted spoon or spider
- wire rack and baking tray
- large saucepan (for parboiling potatoes)
Instructions
Cut the potatoes into thick chips about 2–2.5 cm (3/4–1 in) wide. Rinse them under cold water to remove surface starch, then place in a large bowl of cold water and soak for 30 minutes.
Make the batter: sift 200 g plain flour with the baking powder, 1 tsp fine salt and cayenne into a bowl. Whisk in the egg, then gradually whisk in 330 ml very cold sparkling water or lager until smooth — you want a batter the thickness of single cream that coats the back of a spoon. Cover and chill in the fridge for 10 minutes.
Drain the soaked potatoes, then place in a large saucepan of cold water with 1 tbsp table salt. Bring to a gentle simmer and parboil for about 6 minutes — they should be just starting to soften but still hold their shape. Drain thoroughly.
While the chips drain, set up your frying station: fill a deep heavy‑bottomed pan or fryer with oil (about two-thirds full) and clip on a thermometer. Preheat to 140°C (285°F) for the first fry. Preheat the oven to 100–120°C (keep warm setting) and place a wire rack on a tray for resting cooked items.
Dry the parboiled chips thoroughly on kitchen paper or a clean tea towel. Rough the edges by shaking them in a sieve or colander to create extra surface texture for crisping.
First fry the chips in batches at 140°C in the hot oil for 6–8 minutes until they’re cooked through but pale (not coloured). Remove with a slotted spoon or spider and transfer to the wire rack; keep warm in the oven if needed.
Increase the oil temperature to 180–190°C (350–375°F) for frying the fish and crisping the chips. Test with a small scrap of batter — it should sizzle energetically and turn golden within 30–40 seconds.
Prepare the fish: pat each fillet dry, season lightly with salt, then dust all over with the 100 g plain flour (shake off excess). Dip each fillet into the chilled batter, letting excess drip off, then gently lower into the 180–190°C oil. Fry each fillet for 5–7 minutes until the batter is deep golden and the fish flakes easily. Cook in batches — don’t overcrowd.
Return the chips to the hot oil (180–190°C) and fry in batches for 3–4 minutes until deeply golden and crisp. Drain on the wire rack, season immediately with flaky sea salt.
Quick tartare (optional): mix 150 g mayonnaise with chopped gherkin, capers, and 1 tbsp lemon juice. Adjust seasoning.
Mushy peas (optional): simmer frozen peas for 4–5 minutes, drain, return to pan with 15 g butter and a little chopped mint, then crush roughly with a fork or potato masher. Season to taste.
Serve immediately: place chips and fish on plates or butcher paper, sprinkle with flaky sea salt, add lemon wedges, malt vinegar, tartare and mushy peas on the side.
Tips
- Keep batter and beer/sparkling water very cold — put the bowl on ice if your kitchen is warm; cold batter = crisper coating.
- Dry everything. Moisture is the enemy of crispness. Pat fish and chips thoroughly before battering/frying.
- Use a thermometer. Guessing oil temperature is the fastest route to greasy fish or burnt batter.
- Fry in small batches. Overcrowding drops oil temperature and makes everything soggy.
- Make tartare and mushy peas ahead and chill; reheat peas briefly before serving so everything comes out hot together.
Substitutions
cod fillets → haddock, pollock, or plaice (same weight)
Stays closecold sparkling water or lager → plain cold water (or cider for sweeter batter)
Noticeably differentplain (all-purpose) flour → gluten-free flour blend (1:1) and add 1 extra tsp baking powder
Stays closemaris piper or floury potatoes → russet potatoes (US) or Yukon Golds (slightly waxier, yield a creamier interior)
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 920
- Calories
- 40 g
- Protein
- 92 g
- Carbs
- 42 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
- Sugar
- 700 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I bake the chips instead of frying?
Yes — parboil, rough the edges, toss in a little oil and roast at 220°C for 30–40 minutes turning occasionally. They won’t have the same deep-fried authenticity but will be lighter.
How do I know the fish is cooked?
The batter should be golden and crisp; the fish inside should flake easily and reach about 60–63°C. For very thick fillets add a minute or two at a slightly lower temp if needed.
Can I make the batter ahead?
You can mix the dry ingredients ahead, but add the cold liquid and egg just before frying and keep it chilled — the carbonation is what gives lift.
Why double fry the chips?
The first low temp cooks the potato through; the second high temp crisps the exterior without overcooking the interior — that’s how you get fluffy centers and crackly skins.
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