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Photo by Holly A. Heyser
At some point, all of us have sat face-to-face with a pile of fried fish. As this usually happens first when we are tiny tots, the experience can alter the course of our dietary existence: After that virginal fish fry, many of us we emerge either as committed fish lovers — or, like many Americans, committed fish haters.
Only about half of Americans eat seafood more than once or twice a year, and I suspect that a big reason for such a gulf between fish eaters and fish haters is what was on that first plate of fried fish. Try to think back to your childhood now: Did your mom cook her own fried fish, or did she open a box and shake out a few frozen fish sticks?
I have vivid memories of both cases. My mom cooked her own fish. I have a crystalline image in my head of mom busily frying flounder fillets. It must have been from the mid-1970s, because the image is from below, as if I were looking up at her. She’s standing next to a pile of fried flounder, each layer separated by paper towels sodden with oil. We’d eat these with lemon and lots of “tah-ta sauce.” Mum is from Massachusetts.
I also remember eating at some of my friends’ houses. That image is of pre-breaded fish sticks clunking out onto a foil-lined tray that somebody else’s mother popped into the oven, often a toaster oven. I remember these being dreadful, even as a boy.
Fish sticks are eaten by those who do not fish, I soon learned. Over the years, I’ve become a connoisseur of fried fish, and I still seek out superior fish and chips wherever I go. Most recently I had some fantastic fried fish in Seattle, at a place called Pike Street Fish Fry. It was perfect. Low-budget atmosphere, cheap, crispy fries, lots of beer — and a perfect batter.
Batter. When all else boils down, batter is why we love fried fish. Golden brown might be the two best words you can say in the kitchen (other than, perhaps, “More bacon?”), and the magic of a batter that is crispy, yet light, is a feat of culinary prestidigitation. The Japanese have their tempura batter, which is divine, but fish and chips need something sturdier. They need beer batter. While everyone has their own recipe, beer batters are all basically the same: Beer (what kind you use matters), flour and a little salt.
Mom never battered those flounder she cooked; they were merely breaded and fried. Most fish sticks are the same. Why? Batter can only be done properly with deep frying, and few Americans will deep fry at home. No one ever told me this, so I’ve happily been deep frying since I was in my early 20s. It’s not terribly scary, I assure you.
Photo by Holly A. Heyser
So long as you watch temperature, you’re fine. Yeah, it can be sporty to have a half-gallon of 360-degree oil roiling on your stovetop, but so long as you know it’s that hot, you’re fine. Bad things happen when you don’t, and the oil gets too hot. Thermometers are a must.
I used to use a Dutch oven to fry, but now I use a DeLonghi electric fryer, which has lasted me years. I like deep fryers because they restrict the amount of vaporized grease that gets into the air. And while that aroma really adds to the ambiance of a place like Pike Street Fish Fry, its not so good in your house.
A deep fryer also lets you control temperature, which is important. Soggy, greasy fish and chips happen because the oil was not hot enough. Oil that is too hot will burn the batter by the time the fish has been cooked. My sweet spot has always been about 360 degrees.
Finally, there is the fish. What kind to use? I’ve eaten batter fried fish six ways to Sunday, but all the best share a few characteristics: They’re all firm, white, and lean. Cod, haddock and pollock are classics in the East, as is halibut or lingcod in the West. In Wisconsin and Minnesota, walleye and yellow perch are king. In the South, it’s all catfish until you get to the Gulf, where redfish take over. Hell, I’ve even used tilapia.
But my absolute favorite? Shark. Dogfish and leopard shark are the perfect frying fish, and in fact are traditional in Northern England fish and chips. The meat is white as snow, very lean, and firmer even than halibut. And, eaten cold the next day, tastes astonishingly like cold fried chicken. Go figure.
A word on the chips: I am not very good at making my own French fries, which require double-frying. So instead I make my own chips, which I like just as much. Potatoes sliced just thick enough so the center is soft, just thin enough that a quick bath in hot oil will crisp the outsides.
Photo by Holly A. Heyser
Classic Fish and Chips
This is a recipe for a classic beer batter and fried potatoes. I typically make this with leopard shark, halibut, walleye, cod or catfish, but you can also use seafood like shrimp, calamari, oysters or clams. I use waxy potatoes like Yukon gold for the chips; I find they hold together better in the hot oil.
Make sure your fish is fresh, your batter is cold, and your oil is hot. Make the chips first and keep them in a warm oven. Oh, and make more than you think you need. People love well-made fish and chips more than they think.
Serve with lemon, beer and a sauce of your choice. Tartar sauce is a good idea, but remoulade is also good, as is aioli and the traditionals — malt vinegar and Tabasco.
Serves 4-6.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes, because you are frying in batches.
- 2 pounds skinless, boneless fish
- Salt
- Oil for frying
- 2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, sliced into 1/8-inch thick rounds
- 1/2 cup self-rising flour
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- About 1/2 bottle beer
__________
- Salt the fish and set it aside at room temperature. Get your oil going: You want it to be 350-360 degrees. Turn the oven to the “warm” setting, and put a cookie sheet inside. Place a wire rack on top of the cookie sheet.
- Mix the flour, vegetable oil, salt and beer together, stirring all the while. You want enough beer in the batter to give it the consistency of house paint, or melted ice cream. Put in the fridge to rest for 20 minutes.
- While the batter is resting, slice the potatoes and put them into a large bowl of cold water. When you are done slicing, remove the potatoes and pat them dry with a paper towel.
- The oil should be hot by now. Fry the potatoes, a few at time, for 3-5 minutes, or until they start to brown at the edges. Don’t cook them until they are uniformly brown or you will overcook them; they will continue to brown a little out of the fryer. Salt each batch the moment it comes out of the fryer. Store each batch on the wire rack in the warm oven.
- When the potatoes are done, take the batter out of the fridge. Dredge the fish in the batter and let the excess drip off for a second or two. Lay each piece gently into the hot oil. Do this by letting the bottom end of the piece of fish fry for a second or so in the oil before you let the whole piece get a bath. This helps prevent the fish from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Keep a chopstick or something similar around to dislodge any pieces that do get stuck.
- Fry in batches until golden brown, about 5-8 minutes depending on how large the pieces are. Keep each batch in the warm oven while you finish the rest. Serve at once when you’re done.
Catfish may be ubiquitous here but IMHO Crappie are superior.
Mmmm, fried goodness. There’s nothing like crunching into a thick, crispy finger of fish covered in tartar sauce. I’ve never tried shark fish and chips, but I have a hard time imagining a better piece of fried fish than the lingcod. Moist, mild, firm enough to hold up to the cooking process, but still just flakes apart as you bite into it.
Do you have a special tartar sauce recipe? I’ve experimented lots, but haven’t found one I love. So many seem to be based upon bread and butter pickles which I just can’t stomach in a tartar sauce.
If you’re ever in Portland Oregon, we can go to The Horsebrass pub and have fish and chips. My favorite for a long time. I think you’d appreciate them.
I like using straight PBR and good sour dough pancake mix with a little bit of chipotle pepper powder to give it a kick. I have caught a few sharks in my day, ate a dog fish once and didn’t like it. Do you soak you shark fillets in buttermilk or salt water before you use them?
Kevin: I agree, I prefer crappies, too.
Carter: Nope. I don’t really like tartar sauce, actually…
Bpaul: I’ll take you up on that. And I am in Portland with some frequency.
Daniel: I gut the sharks as soon as they come over the rail, then get them on ice. They taste A LOT better when you do that. If you do this, you won’t need a salt water soak.
I was lucky enough to get out for some halibut fishing off the Oregon coast this spring. This translated into some of the best fried fish I’ve ever had. Fresh halibut is pretty hard to beat when it comes to fried fish. I did one batch with beer batter and one with panko bread crumbs. Both were great. I even did some barracuda a few years back like this that was awesome.
With all the halibut I got kind of motivated and made some tartar sauce. I don’t usually like tartar sauce but I liked this. Dill Pickle, garlic spears, sweet onions, extra lemon, green olives, mayonnaise, salt and pepper.
I make French fries often using Joël Robuchon’s method (q.v.), and though they aren’t quite as good as classic twice-fried fries, they sure are easy.
The ‘classic’ fish and chips would be with American fries – as American chips are actually British crisps. Confusing fried potato products, but all tasty.
Ingrid: True, but as I said in the post I find that making traditional French fries is a huge pain in the ass, so I do these chips instead.
Hank, I prefer my fish with just a pinch of lemon and a dash of salt and I know you said you don’t like tarter sauce, but please give this one a try. It’s from “Women’s Home Companion Cook Book” circa 1946: 3/4 cup mayo, 3 Tbsp chopped dill pickle, 2 Tbsp chopped capers, 1 Tbsp parsley, 1 Tbsp chopped onion, and 1 Tbsp horseradish. It has converted many a tarter hater, myself included!
Frank
Hank, great batter.
Here is mine. 1 cup s/r flour,1TBS tapioca flour, 1 bottle of pale ale I use cascade or little creatures here, pinch of salt and 2 egg yolks.
In southern Australia our fish and chip shops use mainly Gummy Shark, as the main fish but you can order from big range of fish.
We make do with bluegill and largemouth bass here in Northern Indiana. As to your comment of making more than you need, I once served a heaping tray of pan-fried fish and fries to my then very young six children. After saying Grace, 12 small hands simultaneously dove for the huge golden brown pile of fried goodness in the center of the table. I did manage to get a couple pieces, but it was pure joy watching the kids indulge themselves! There were no leftovers that night.
Hank, you mention that the type of beer matters. What’s your favorite type?
Kitty: Any type of beer is good, actually. What I mean is that your end batter will change depending on the beer. In winter I use a stout or porter, and in summer anything from Budweiser to Sam Adams. The only thing to watch out for is a hoppy beer. Really hoppy beers can make your batter bitter (say that 5 times fast!), so I avoid them.
If you make it to Astoria, try the Bow Picker, they do albacore, right up there with halibut
Just got back from Loreto Mexico with Fresh Mahi Mahi and Cabria Bass. Will try out the fish and chips recipe with some of the smaller fish fillets and bits. While reading your recipe for the Beer Batter the question arose “What is the difference between Self-Rising Flour and All Purpose?”. I found this site which gave insight:http://www.buzzle.com/articles/self-rising-flour-vs-all-purpose-flour.html. Could make a note that if only have All Purpose Flour to add 1 1/2 tsp.Baking Powder, 1/2 tsp. salt for every 1 cup All Purpose Flour & Sift twice. Although not as good as Self Rising Flour from store it can substitute. Thanks for all the yummy recipes and humorous dish notes.
Hank…you’ve come through again! I’ve got a cooler full of fresh halibut and rockfish… I’m gonna brave the fryer.
This reminds me that I’m still looking for the sauce known as “liquor” that was served with fried eel at English (London?) fish & chip mongers. It may have had malt vinegar as one of the ingredients. Anybody have a clue?
Secret_Ingredient if you’re looking for Liquor, you can only really find it in London’s dwindling Pie and Mash shops.
The Liquors a bit like what you’d have on a fried chicken and mash dinner in the states. It’s a butter, cornflour and chicken stock base, spiked with chopped parsley and some mashed roast garlic.
In Chippies, you’d usually get your fish and chips with Malt Vinegar or – the grand daddy – ONION JUICE! That stuff is seriously amazing, it’s the pickling brine from the pickled onion jars. It hits the acid notes you need to cut through the fried flavour whilst having some of its own character.
If you’re in London let me know, I might be able to locate a pie and mash shop near you
To the point about soaking dogfish shark meat made earlier, soaking in salt water will only make it salty. As Hank said, quick gutting and icing are key. Any off flavors (none are likely if the fish is handled correctly)can be neutralized with a quick soak in ice water with a bit of lemon juice squeezed in.
I get around the pain in the butt aspect of doing good fries
by nuking the taters with the skins on, then allow them to cool,
sometimes over night in the fridge if I’m not in a hurry.
The nuker tends to dry them out a bit, a good thing if you like
crispy fries. There’s usually enough moisture left so that the
potatoes will congeal enough for slicing once they have cooled.
P.S.
Enjoyed your book.
I’ve made a number of trips to Newfoundland, and enjoyed the fish and chips at “Ches’s Fish and Chips” enormously. The thing that Newfoundland adds to the Fish and Chip standard is brown gravy! They pour that stuff all over the chips and on the fish too. I prefer it on the side so I can dip gently, but it’s an amazing thing.
Hank, if you grew up in Westfield like your sister you may have had F&C at the Chippery in Fanwood. It turns out their F&C were amazing, and ranked up with the best Newfoundland could provide (and vastly superior to any I’ve had in London, UK, which is now a sad and ugly F&C wasteland).
What do you do with the leftover oil? Are you able to keep it for any length of time?
My potatoes came out soggy and my batter didn’t stick. Do you think that is oil temp related? I have different model of the same deep fryer you use, but my last batch of fries was soggy too and I’m wondering whether the thermostat is busted. Should have checked the oil temp with my Thermapen. Based on how seldom I deep fry, what a hassle the thing is to keep clean, and now suspicions of poor performance… whether a deep fryer with an accurate thermometer is really an upgrade to oil in a dutch oven.
Joe: I reuse it. Here’s how: Once the oil is cool, I set a strainer over a 4-cup measuring cup. I then set a paper towel in the strainer and pour the oil through. This filters out a lot of the debris. The oil is actually better the second or third time you use it. I keep mine for about 5 uses before tossing it.
JW Hammer: Weird. Gotta be a temperature thing with the potatoes. That happens. As for the batter not sticking, I suspect that’s because the fish was too wet before you dipped it. I make sure my pieces of fish are pretty dry before dunking. As for the fryer, I’ve never had a problem with mine, so maybe you got a bum model?
@Hank: Checked this evening and the the temp is off by 30 degrees F (low) according to Thermapen (need to do final check with Thermapen and boiling water). I’ve had it for several years and used it (only once every few months) with no problems, but the last two times I’ve used it have been bad. I guess I’ll have to see if I can recalibrate it or maybe just switch to the dutch oven.
[...] and chips, made with cod my son caught in the Bay using Hank Shaw’s excellent recipe for frying [...]
Dave: Fries with gravy is not really a uniquely Newfoundland thing, as you can pretty much get gravy for your fries anywhere in Canada.
However, Newfoundlanders are about the only people who put stuffing and gravy on top of fries.
[...] Classic Fish & Chips [...]