Real English Fish and Chips with Yorkshire Beer Batter
I was taught how to cook fish and chips by my mum when I was about 12 years old; we were living in Hong Kong at the time and it was my mums way of treating us to a little bit of home as a treat! My mum had this recipe written down on the back of an old envelope stuck inside her Be-Ro cookbook from 1952 - I never use any other method now! One trick is to make sure that everything is prepared and assembled ready for frying takeoff!!! If you are cooking for two or more people, have your oven on with a lined tray to keep the fish and chips warm. If you really want to be totally authentic, cut up squares of greaseproof paper and sheets of newspaper - place the fish and chips onto the greaseproof paper and then into a sheet of newspaper. All you need now is a pickled onion, salt and malt vinegar! TIPS for CHIPS: I notice one reviewer had difficulty with the chips. Here are a few tips or tricks for chips: Make sure they are dried thoroughly. Make sure the fat is very hot - 190 degrees C. Certain potatoes are better for chipping, such as King Edwards, Desiree, Majestic, Maris Piper, and Romano. You can soak the chips for an hour before the first frying - it extracts excess starch, which helps in the crisping process! Always drain them thoroughly before serving. I hope these tips will help!
I was taught how to cook fish and chips by my mum when I was about 12 years old; we were living in Hong Kong at the time and it was my mums way of treating us to a little bit of home as a treat! My mum had this recipe written down on the back of an old envelope stuck inside her Be-Ro cookbook from 1952 - I never use any other method now! One trick is to make sure that everything is prepared and assembled ready for frying takeoff!!! If you are cooking for two or more people, have your oven on with a lined tray to keep the fish and chips warm. If you really want to be totally authentic, cut up squares of greaseproof paper and sheets of newspaper - place the fish and chips onto the greaseproof paper and then into a sheet of newspaper. All you need now is a pickled onion, salt and malt vinegar! TIPS for CHIPS: I notice one reviewer had difficulty with the chips. Here are a few tips or tricks for chips: Make sure they are dried thoroughly. Make sure the fat is very hot - 190 degrees C. Certain potatoes are better for chipping, such as King Edwards, Desiree, Majestic, Maris Piper, and Romano. You can soak the chips for an hour before the first frying - it extracts excess starch, which helps in the crisping process! Always drain them thoroughly before serving. I hope these tips will help!
- Carbohydrate 93.326721895665 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0.76341283932 g
- Fiber 9.26692994729522 g
- Protein 11.426683009845 g
- Saturated Fat 0.1596281533575 g
- Serving Size 1 1 serving(s) (398g)
- Sodium 486.209642343 mg
- Sugar 84.0597919483698 g
- Trans Fat 0.2245758378375 g
- Calories 419 calories
Step-by-step
- Heat fat up in a chip pan or automatic deep fat fryer - mine has a chip setting which is 190degreesC.
- Peel the potatoes and cut into chunky sized chips. Rinse and dry thoroughly.
- Fry chips for about 3 minutes until soft but NOT coloured. Drain and shake well and set to one side.
- Put some flour onto a plate. Dredge the fish fillets in the flour thoroughly - this is VERY important, it stops the batter sliding off when fried! Leave the fish fillets in the flour whilst you make the batter.
- Some people say you should make the batter at least one hour before - I have found little difference - so make it before if it is convenient or now!
- Put flour, bicarbonate of soda, salt and pepper into a large roomy bowl. Add the beer gradually, stop when you have a thick coating type of batter. Drink any beer that is left!
- Whisk thoroughly until it is smooth and there are no lumps.
- Add the lemon juice OR a splash of malt vinegar if desired. Mix thoroughly again.
- Have your plates, newspaper or whatever ready for eating!
- Adjust deep fat fryer to fish frying temperature of 160degreesC.
- Take one fillet of fish at a time and holding it by the tail or thin end (!) swirl it around the batter until well coated - plunge into hot fat immediately.
- As soon as it has crisped up and set, add your other fillets one at a time, taking out the first ones as they cook - about 6 to 10 minutes depending on the thickness. Place onto a tray and keep warm in the oven.
- Turn up the heat setting to 190degreesC again and cook your chips until golden and crisp.
- Serve on plates or newspaper with salt & vinegar!
- All you need now is a pint of warm beer and Coronation Street on the TV to set the scene!
- This batter is great for small fish goujons, chicken goujons and also tempura vegetables too.
A Taste of Home: My Mum's Famous Fish and Chips
The aroma of perfectly fried fish and chips always takes me back to my childhood in Hong Kong. It wasn't exactly a traditional Hong Kong dish, but my mum, bless her, found a way to bring a little bit of "home" to our lives, even thousands of miles away. She'd whip up this incredible fish and chips recipe, a treasure she had scribbled on the back of an old envelope tucked inside her well-loved 1952 Be-Ro cookbook. This wasn’t just any fish and chips; this was a taste of comfort, family, and pure deliciousness. To this day, I’ve never found a recipe that comes close to replicating the magic of her simple, yet perfect, fish and chips.
The secret, she always told me, lies in the preparation. Everything needs to be ready – the potatoes peeled, chipped, and thoroughly dried; the fish fillets prepped and waiting; the batter mixed to perfection. And this isn't some quick 15-minute meal; it's a labor of love requiring patience and attention to detail. Having the oven preheated to keep the cooked fish and chips warm while the rest is frying is key to serving it all hot. Remember the newspaper and greaseproof paper? It's completely optional, but using it definitely added to the authenticity of the experience. The final touch? A generous sprinkle of salt, a drizzle of malt vinegar, and that’s it! Pure, unadulterated deliciousness.
Making the batter is an art in itself. Some recipes call for making the batter an hour ahead, but honestly, I've never noticed a huge difference. The key is getting the consistency just right. It should be thick enough to coat the fish nicely but not so thick that it becomes heavy and gummy. And don't forget, the beer (use a good quality one, the left-overs are a reward!) and a hint of lemon juice really lift the flavor profile. The process might seem a little more demanding compared to ordering take-out, but the reward? The taste of a truly exceptional meal made with love and a touch of nostalgia. The memories associated with it are as rich as the flavour itself; memories of family, laughter, and the comforting scent of frying fish that would permeate our Hong Kong apartment.
Tips for Crispy Chips:
One thing I've learned over the years is that not all potatoes are created equal when it comes to making chips. King Edwards, Desiree, Majestic, Maris Piper, and Romano are your best bets. And remember, thorough drying is essential; excess moisture is the enemy of crispy chips. Soaking the potatoes in water for an hour before frying helps remove excess starch, resulting in chips that are golden brown and perfectly crispy. And finally, make sure your oil is screaming hot – around 190 degrees Celsius – before you add the chips. These are the small details that make all the difference between good chips and truly great chips.
The joy of cooking this recipe isn't simply about the delicious outcome; it's about the process, the ritual, the connection to family history. Each step is a memory, a reminder of those special moments spent in the kitchen with my mum. It’s a culinary journey that brings more than just a meal to the table; it’s a celebration of love, tradition, and a taste of home, wherever you might be in the world. So, gather your ingredients, put on some music, and prepare to be transported to a simpler time; a time of family, tradition and wonderful food. Enjoy!
