Traditional fish and chips

Fish batter recipe for fish and chips

Fish and chips are a crunchy takeaway favourite synonymous with Aussie summer. Adopted from England, it’s pure comfort food - the combo of fried fish in a crispy batter and hot chips is irresistible. And when it comes to the crunch, a good fish batter is key to homemade fish and chips that’s as good as - if not better - than your local fish-and-chip shop. For this battered fish recipe, we’re using tried-and-true beer batter for a light, crispy fish batter. The yeast and carbonation in the beer gives the batter a light, puffy result when it hits the hot oil, giving you that satisfying crunch.

Ingredients for battered fish

For the best fish batter, use 1 ¼ cups (310ml) of beer. You can use non-alcoholic beer if you’d prefer. The dry ingredients for this batter are 1 cup (150g) plain flour, which will coat the fish and give it a wonderful golden colour. There’s also 1 tsp baking powder in the mixture to help the batter rise and 1 tsp of salt is used to season. You’ll also need rice flour to coat the fish before dipping it in the batter. For a serving of 4, you’ll need 3 large white fish fillets - you can use basa or pink ling which are both great in fish-and-chip recipes.

Use 1kg of peeled brushed potatoes for the chips and some neutral-flavoured oil like canola to deep-fry. For the homemade sauce, you’ll need ½ cup (150g) reduced-fat mayonnaise and 1 tsp horseradish cream, 1 tbs chopped dill, 1 tbs chopped cornichons and the finely grated rind and juice of 1 lemon.

How to make beer battered fish and chips

This beer batter fish recipe is served with chips, which will take more time to prepare because they’re twice cooked to make them crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. For this reason, it’s best to get the chips off and running first. Cut the potatoes lengthways into 1cm-thick batons and pat them dry with paper towel. Then half-fill a deep-fryer or large heavy-based saucepan with oil to 160°C. The best way to tell if it’s reached this temperature is to drop a cube of bread into the oil. It will turn golden brown in 30 seconds when the oil is hot enough. In batches, cook the chips for 5-7 minutes or until tender but still pale. This cooks the inside of the potato and softens it. Transfer the potato to a baking tray lined with paper towel. Place the chips in the fridge for 30 minutes to chill.

Meanwhile, make a creamy sauce by combining the mayonnaise, horseradish, dill, cornichon, lemon rind and juice in a small bowl. Place in the fridge until needed.

To keep the chips warm while you make the crispy battered fish, preheat the oven to 170°C. Then heat the oil to 180°C. In batches, cook the chips for a further 2-3 minutes or until they’re crisp and golden. Transfer them to a tray lined with paper towel and season. Place them in the oven to keep warm.

How to make fish batter for crispy battered fish

Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt and beer in a large bowl until smooth. Then cut each piece of fish in half lengthways, then in half crossways to make 12 small portions. Place the rice flour on a plate. Add the fish and turn to coat, shaking off excess. The rice flour soaks up moisture from the fish to help to keep the batter nice and crispy. Then dip each piece of fish in the batter, allowing excess batter to drain. Carefully place the fish in the hot oil and cook, in batches if needed, for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. Transfer to a wire rack over a baking tray lined with paper towel. Season the fish and chips and serve with the mayonnaise sauce.

Now get cooking

Try our other super-tasty fish and chips recipes, starting with this gluten-free battered fish and chips served with golden sweet potato chips. Feel-good fish and chips? Absolutely - they’re right here in this healthy fish and chips recipe. Take the classic to next-level deliciousness with this salmon with salt and vinegar potatoes. And for a healthier take, enlist the help of your airfryer to create this almond and parmesan-crusted salmon.