Perfect for Fish and Chips Fridays during the Lenten Season!
Beer-battered fish and chips is a classic British dish featuring crispy, golden-brown fish fillets encased in a light and airy batter, served alongside perfectly fried potato chips or fries. The batter, made with flour, baking powder, and a cold, bubbly beer, creates a crisp shell that locks in the fish’s moisture, keeping it tender and flaky. Traditionally served with tartar sauce or malt vinegar, this dish is a comforting and satisfying meal that’s perfect for a pub-style experience at home.
Beer-battered fish and chips is a classic British dish featuring crispy, golden-brown fish fillets encased in a light and airy batter, served alongside perfectly fried potato chips or fries. Perfect for Lent, but delicious year-round!
In a medium sized bowl, combine the mayonnaise, shallot, capers, relish, lemon zest and juice, Worcestershire, and mustard. Mix well. Cover and place in the fridge for a minimum of 4 hours, overnight is recommended so that all the flavors combine.
Place the Cod fillets on a wire rack over a baking sheet. Using half of the salt, lightly salt both sides of the Cod fillets. Set aside for 15 minutes. This will allow the salt to extract some of the excess moisture from the Cod fillets, permitting them to firm up and keeping the crust from getting soggy.
Pre-heat your fryer to 375°F. 🔥 (If you don't have a fryer, you may use a dutch oven with a thermometer designed for deep-frying.) Just keep a close eye on your oil temperature as to not exceed 375°F and be careful not to add too much oil to prevent boiling over.
In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, remaining salt, and rice flour. (The rice flour is the secret to a crispy crust). Whisk to combine. Slowly add the beer, while whisking, being careful not to create too much foam from pouring the beer too quickly. Continue adding beer until a pancake-batter consistency is reached. Do not over-whisk, a few lumps are fine.
Pat each fillet dry with a paper towel on each side. Dredge in the flour, shake off any excess flour. Transfer directly to the beer batter, submerging each filet completely to coat all sides. Remove from the batter and float each filet into the fryer.
Cook in the fryer for about 7-8 minutes, turning each fillet once about halfway through to ensure uniform cooking on both sides. Move to a paper-lined baking sheet to drain. Serve with tartar sauce, malt vinegar, your french fries of choice, and lemon wedges.
Servings 4
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.