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Quick Summary
In This Recipe
This beer battered fish and chips recipe delivers everything the classic plate should have: flaky cod inside a light, shatteringly crisp crust, homemade coated fries, and a bright, creamy tartar sauce. The keys are cold...
Category: Dinner, Seafood Recipes | By: Matt Price, Mr. Make It Happen
This beer battered fish and chips recipe delivers everything the classic plate should have: flaky cod inside a light, shatteringly crisp crust, homemade coated fries, and a bright, creamy tartar sauce. The keys are cold batter, properly heated oil, and giving the potatoes time to steam-dry before frying.
Why You’ll Love This Fish and Chips Recipe
- Extra-crispy fish: Cold lager and a shot of vodka help the batter fry up light instead of heavy.
- Homemade coated fries: Parboiled russet potatoes get a thin cornstarch coating for a pub-style crunch.
- Bold homemade tartar sauce: Fresh dill, capers, shallot, lemon, Dijon, and relish balance the fried fish.
- Complete restaurant-style meal: The fish, chips, and sauce are all made from scratch.
Key Ingredients
Cod
Cod is thick, mild, and flaky, making it ideal for beer battered fish. Haddock is an excellent substitute. Cut the 1½ pounds of fish into roughly 5- to 6-ounce portions so they cook evenly.
Russet potatoes
Russets have the starch needed for crisp, fluffy chips. These are parboiled until fork-tender, steam-dried, and coated in a thin flour-and-cornstarch slurry before frying.
Cold lager and vodka
A cold pilsner or lager adds flavor and carbonation. Vodka evaporates quickly in the hot oil, helping the exterior become crisp while limiting gluten development.
Cornstarch and seasoned flour
Cornstarch keeps both coatings light and crisp. Seasoned flour builds flavor into the batter itself rather than relying only on seasoning after frying.
How to Make Beer Battered Fish and Chips
1. Cut and parboil the potatoes
Peel two large russet potatoes and cut them into thick chips. Rinse away excess surface starch, then simmer them in salted water until fork-tender but still firm enough to hold their shape. Transfer them to a wire rack and let them cool and steam-dry completely.
2. Make the tartar sauce
Stir together mayonnaise, sweet relish, chopped capers, shallot, fresh dill, Dijon, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, lemon zest, lemon juice, all-purpose seasoning, sugar, and black pepper. Refrigerate the sauce while you prepare the fish and chips so the flavors can blend.
3. Coat and fry the chips
Whisk cornstarch and seasoned flour with ¾ cup ice-cold water. Add only enough additional water to reach a consistency slightly thinner than pancake batter. Coat the cooled potatoes and fry them in 350°F oil for 3–4 minutes, or until golden and crisp. Drain on a wire rack and season while hot.
4. Mix the beer batter
Whisk one cup seasoned flour with ½ cup cornstarch. Add 12 ounces of cold pilsner or lager and one 1½-ounce shot of vodka. Mix just until combined. The batter should be thinner than pancake batter; a few small lumps are fine.
5. Fry the cod
Heat the oil to 365°F so it remains near 350°F after the fish is added. Dip each cod portion into the cold batter, let the excess run off, and carefully lower it directly into the oil. Fry for approximately 5–7 minutes, depending on thickness, until deeply golden and the center reaches 145°F.
6. Serve immediately
Serve the fish hot with the coated chips, lemon wedges, and plenty of homemade tartar sauce.
Tips for Extra-Crispy Fish
- Keep the batter cold: Cold batter hitting hot oil creates a crisper shell.
- Preheat the oil to 365°F: The temperature will drop when the fish enters the pot.
- Do not crowd the fryer: Fry in batches so the oil temperature recovers quickly.
- Drain on a rack: A wire rack prevents steam from softening the bottom crust.
- Do not overmix: Stir the batter only until the dry ingredients are incorporated.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best fish for fish and chips?
Cod and haddock are the classic choices because both are mild, thick, and flaky. This recipe uses cod.
Why add vodka to fish batter?
Vodka evaporates faster than water and helps create a crisp coating. It also limits gluten formation, keeping the batter lighter.
Can I make the tartar sauce ahead?
Yes. Make it several hours ahead and refrigerate it in a covered container. The flavor improves as the dill, shallot, capers, and lemon blend with the mayonnaise.
Why parboil the potatoes?
Parboiling cooks the centers before frying. Allowing the potatoes to steam-dry afterward helps the coating stick and keeps excess water out of the oil.
What temperature should fried fish reach?
The thickest part of the cod should reach 145°F. Cooking time will vary with the thickness of each portion.
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Beer Battered Fish and Chips with Homemade Tartar Sauce
Ingredients
Beer-Battered Cod
- 1.5 lb cod fillets cut into 5- to 6-ounce portions
- 1 cup seasoned all-purpose flour
- ½ cup cornstarch
- 12 fl oz cold pilsner or lager
- 1.5 fl oz vodka
- Neutral frying oil as needed
Crispy Homemade Chips
- 2 large russet potatoes peeled and cut into thick chips
- ¾ cup cornstarch
- ¼ cup seasoned all-purpose flour
- ¾ to 1 cup ice-cold water as needed to make a heavy-cream consistency
- Kosher salt for the parboiling water and finishing
- Neutral frying oil as needed
Homemade Tartar Sauce
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoon sweet relish
- 1 tablespoon capers drained and chopped
- 1 small shallot finely diced
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
- 2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- zest of ½ lemon
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon all-purpose seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon granulated sugar
- Black pepper to taste
For Serving
- Lemon wedges
Instructions
Make the Tartar Sauce
- Stir together the mayonnaise, relish, capers, shallot, dill, Dijon, garlic, Worcestershire, lemon zest, lemon juice, all-purpose seasoning, sugar, and black pepper. Taste and add more lemon juice if desired. Cover and refrigerate while you cook.
Prepare and Fry the Chips
- Place the cut potatoes in a pot of generously salted water. Bring to a gentle boil and cook until fork-tender but not falling apart. Drain carefully and spread on a wire rack to steam-dry and cool completely.
- Heat the frying oil to 350°F. Whisk the ¾ cup cornstarch and ¼ cup seasoned flour together. Add ¾ cup ice-cold water, then add more a little at a time until the slurry has the consistency of heavy cream.
- Coat the cooled chips in the slurry, letting the excess drip off. Fry in batches for 3 to 4 minutes, until crisp and lightly golden. Drain on a rack, season with salt, and keep warm.
Batter and Fry the Fish
- Whisk the 1 cup seasoned flour and ½ cup cornstarch together. Pour in the cold beer and vodka, whisking just until combined. Small lumps are fine; keep the batter cold.
- Increase the oil to 365°F so it settles near 350°F after the fish is added. Pat the cod dry, dip each portion into the batter, let the excess drip off, and carefully lower it into the oil.
- Fry the cod in batches for 5 to 7 minutes, turning as needed, until deeply golden, crisp, and 145°F in the center. Drain on a rack and season immediately.
- Serve the hot fish and chips with lemon wedges and the chilled homemade tartar sauce.
