British Fish and Chips
No need to go down to your local chippy or search for a restaurant that makes the best beer-battered fish and chips. This British Fish and Chips recipe produces that perfectly crispy and flavorful result you’re craving!
What we know as fish and chips today originated in England but its earliest origins can be traced back to Sephardic Jewish immigrants from Spain and Portugal where a popular dish known as pescado frito had been enjoyed at least a couple of centuries earlier and was made using a technique of battering and and frying fish in oil. And as for the chips, the credit goes to Belgium.
One of the earliest references to fish and chips in England comes from none other than my favorite author, Charles Dickens, who in 1838 noted the “fried fish warehouses” in Oliver Twist. The famous Victorian chef, Alexis Soyer, also noted in his 1845 cookbook a recipe for “Fried Fish, Jewish Fashion,” a nod to its Sephardic Jewish origins. The first reference to the term “chips” for fries also came from Charles Dickens in A Tale of Two Cities, where he referred to them as “husky chips of potatoes, fried with some reluctant drops of oil.” The first known fish & chips shop was opened by Joseph Malin, a Jewish immigrant, in London in the 1860’s.
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 cups light beer
- extra flour for dredging , chilled
- 1 1/2 pounds fresh cod, haddock or halibut , (or other firm-fleshed white fish), cut into 4 pieces and patted dry
- oil for frying
- use beef tallow instead of oil for the best traditional flavor
- 4 large Russet potatoes or other high starch/low moisture potato , peeled, sliced thickly and put in a large bowl of cold water until ready to fry
- salt for sprinkling
- oil for frying
- quality British Malt Vinegar , for serving