Beer Battered Haddock and Chips

Crispy beer battered haddock is served with real homemade chips and a lemon wedge

Fish and chips is traditionally the UK's favourite fast food. Unfortunately, it is also one of those meals where the difference between delicious perfection and outright disaster can be represented by a very fine line. There are few who like the dish to consist of limp, soggy chips and greasy, soggy batter on the fish. The good news is that there are two main reasons why the sogginess occurs, both relating to the temperature of the oil and easily avoided. Either the oil is not hot enough before the chips and/or fish is added, or alternatively, too much food is added to the oil at the same time. This latter scenario will see the cold food significantly reducing the temperature of the oil, however hot it was in the first instance. This is a major problem in thousands of fish and chip shops (but by no means all!) UK wide and that is partly why the fish and chips were in this instance cooked in two different pans.

A large haddock fillet is halved lengthways for battering and deep frying

Ingredients per Person

1 or 2 large floury/starchy potatoes
Large skinless fillet of haddock
3 tbsp plain/all purpose flour
Small bottle of lager type beer
Salt
Lemon wedge to garnish
Condiment/sauce accompaniments of choice

Basic beer batter ingredients

Directions

I've featured my chosen chip preparation method on this blog many times before, so won't go in to that again. Do note though that if using that method, the chips will have to be started well in advance.

Prepared beer batter

In this instance, the fish is going to be fried in a deep frying pan of very hot vegetable oil. This allows you to monitor the fish better as it fries and means the chips can be prepared separately in your deep fryer.

Put the flour in to a suitable dish. This dish designed for storing bacon in the fridge is ideal. Slowly begin adding some of the ice cold beer, whisking with a fork as you pour until you have a batter the consistency of thick cream. Dip the haddock fillets in to the batter, hold them up for a couple of seconds to let the excess drip off and lower them carefully in to the hot oil.

Beer battered haddock is fried in a deep frying pan

Turn the fillets carefully after two minutes and fry for two minutes more.

Beer battered haddock is drained on kitchen paper after being deep fried

Lift the haddock from the hot oil with a large slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.

Real homemade chips

Lay the chips on a serving plate, the haddock fillets on top and garnish with a lemon wedge.

Beer battered haddock is laid on homemade chips

Salt and malt vinegar are essential condiments but tomato ketchup or HP Sauce also go well with this meal.

Condiments commonly added to haddock and chips

Healthy Fish, Chips and Peas

Fish, chips and peas is not often considered the healthiest of meals. If you fancy having it for dinner tonight, however, or indeed any night, why not try this method of cooking it?

Ingredients (Per Person)

One skinned fillet of white fish such as haddock
1 large maris piper potato (unpeeled)
1 tbsp of frozen peas
Salt
Olive oil

Method

Put your oven on to preheat to 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6 with a baking sheet inside. Chop your maris piper potato in to chips and add them to a large bowl or basin with enough olive oil to subsequently coat all the chips when stirred and salt to taste. Put the chips on to the hot baking sheet and in to the oven.

Place a large sheet of aluminium foil on to a second baking sheet and lightly oil the centre with olive oil. Place the fillet of haddock on the foil and wrap in to a sealed but loose parcel.

When the chips have been cooking for about fifteen minutes, take them out and shake the tray gently to ensure they are not sticking to it. Return them to the oven for a further twelve to fifteen minutes along with the tray containing the fish.

The frozen peas generally only take two to three minutes to cook in boiling water. The instructions will be on the packet which you buy so follow them accordingly.

N.B.

If using a different type of fish, the cooking time will have to be amended accordingly. For example, whiting will cook quicker than haddock while cod is likely to take slightly longer.