Authentic Fish & Chips

[schmoopie]

My mother is from Nova Scotia and as I child I spent every summer and many a holiday there. I ate fish and chips for as many meals as the family would let me get away with during each visit.

I have had a hard time recreating what should be a simple "fish fry" at home. I've tried several recipes, several types of fish and a few different oils, all with "close, but not quite" results.

Is there someone out there who can save me and help me recreate my childhood favorite??

And, while I'm at it, does anyone know of a good restaurant, street vendor, hole in the wall, etc. in Manhattan that serves really good fish and chips??

Thanks bunches!!

[Anna N]

I have had a hard time recreating what should be a simple "fish fry" at home. I've tried several recipes, several types of fish and a few different oils, all with "close, but not quite" results.

Do you mean battered fish? That's what I'm aiming for and I miss almost all of the time - batter simply not light and crispy the way I want it. So, if that's what you are after, I too will be following this thread very closely and hoping for some answers.

[Dave the Cook]

I have had a hard time recreating what should be a simple "fish fry" at home. I've tried several recipes, several types of fish and a few different oils, all with "close, but not quite" results.

Do you mean battered fish? That's what I'm aiming for and I miss almost all of the time - batter simply not light and crispy the way I want it. So, if that's what you are after, I too will be following this thread very closely and hoping for some answers.

What usually happens in threads like this is a bunch of people will throw recipes at you guys (no offense intended if chicks are present). You'll pick one or two and try them. They might work, or they might not, but to me it's not a very interesting way to go about it. I'd rather figure it out by analyzing what you're doing and why the results come up short of your desires and expectations. Then we can pick things apart and try and fix it.

So:

what are the recipes?

was there trouble with any part of the recipe--substitution of ingredients, difficult techniques or techniques that had to be modified?

what were your expectations?

how did the results differ from your expectations?

All we've got to go on now is "not light and crispy the way I want it." That's a start, but--more details, please.

[Andy Lynes]

Authentic British fish and chips means soggy chips and batter normally. However, a fantastic batter recipe is:

110g plain flour,

10g fresh yeast or 5g dried

150 ml beer at room temp

Just mix it all together and let the yeat activate for 30 mins or so before using. It's the crispiest batter you will ever taste.

[Suzanne F]

Andy, sounds great. I've got one that's even easier, although it takes a bit more time:

Equal volumes of all-purpose (plain) flour and beer. Mix well, cover, let sit 3 hours.

For 1 12-ounce bottle of beer, use 1+1/2 cups of flour.

Stays crisp and light even when kept warm or reheated in oven.

But Dave the Cook is right, too: how do you do it now, and how do you wish it would come out instead?

[Anna N]

What a fantastic offer - analyzing and offering suggestions. I know about copyright so I'm not sure about posting the recipe I used - it called for all purpose flour, salt, baking powder, 2 egg whites and one large can of dark ale. The egg whites are simply added and stirred (not beaten as for a meringue). However the recipe can easily be found on www.foodnetwork.ca - it's by Christine Cushing Live and is called "Dark Ale-Battered Catfish and Chips" If I knew how, I give the link.

The fish (I have tried both catfish and halibut) is first dipped in corn starch then in the batter and fried at 350F approx 8 minutes and turned once during that time. The first effort, following the recipe exactly, came close to my ideal but the batter simply didn't have the lightness and "bubbliness" that I wanted.

I fry in fresh canola oil in a La Creuset dutch oven on an electric stove. I'd be happy to answer any questions that might make the analysis easier. Thank you so much.

I got creative the second time around and changed from dark ale to an ice beer and it was not even as good as the first time. How to describe what I want - it's light golden in colour, rough-textured with many obvious bubbles (air holes) in the batter which is light and crispy enough to hear the crunch as you cut it or bite into it.

[Suzanne F]

I'm suspicious of the egg whites just being stirred in like that. I would either beat them frothy or more, or not even use them. The way they're used now, I think it makes the batter tough.

Just try Andy's recipe or mine -- you can use the dark ale, and it should be delicious. I guarantee you: either one will be light, crisp, crackling. The BEST. Just remember to let the batter sit so the beer (and yeast) have time to break down the gluten in the flour.

[Dave the Cook]

I'm with Suzanne.

Egg whites are practically nothing but water held in suspension by long strands of protein. Just stir 'em in like that and you're almost guaranteed to get rubber--imagine an egg white cooked in a pan over medium heat for eight minutes, and you'll get the idea. Moreover, as the water in the whites evaporates at the surface, you lower the surface temperature = longer cooking time = overcooked fish and tough crust.

If you whip the whites to soft peaks and fold them in at the last minute, they'll add some air in the form of bubbles, which (theoretically), when they pop, will increase the surface area of the cooked batter. More surface area = more crunch.

But that's lagniappe. Try it Suzanne's or Andy's way, then add the whipped whites if your crunch jones is still howling.

If you don't want to do the yeast, but still want a leavened batter (again, more bubbles), try one to one-and-a-half teasoons of baking powder per cup of flour.

Other than that, make sure your oil is up to temperature, but you're probably already being careful there. You do have a deep-frying thermometer, don't you?

This is fun. I feel like Tyler Florence.

With less hair.

[Anna N]

Thanks, everyone.

I was a bit suspicious about the egg whites but have made a number of Christine Cushing's recipes and have found them pretty good so I trusted her on this one.

I will try both with and without the yeast.

I do use a thermometer and am careful not to put more than two or three small pieces of fish in at any one time so that the temp doesn't plummet.

I promise to report back but I think we just might be "fished out" for now so it may be a week or two before I give it another try.

Once again, thanks to all who offered support and advice. I hope the original poster of this thread found this useful too.

[Hub-UK2]

How to make a great batter is one of the topics Chef Jos Wellman (alias Tallyrand) covered for me.

It is always difficult to post a reply without looking as if it is self-promotion but after two and a half years gathering the information and creating over 2,500 web pages I have a lot to share. So rather than post some crafty link or reproducing the whole article I would prefer to be asked for the link then I am not taking up too much space.

[Nick]

Link on, David.

In the meanwhile, how about a tempura batter and the requisite temp?

[pjs]

ADAPTED from a NYT's article, 1984.

BEER BATTER

1 cup plus 1 TB flour

Salt to taste

1 TB oil

¾ cup beer (use imported ale: i.e. Bass) at room temp.

2 TB lukewarm water

1 egg, separated

Put the flour and salt in a mixing bowl and add oil. Add beer and water while stirring with a whisk. Stir until blended. Beat in the egg yolk.

Cover and place in a warm location. Let stand 2-3 hours.

Beat the egg white until stiff and fold into the batter.

Dip and fry.

PJ

PS: Andy is cheating. Only a Brit would use yeast.

[awbrig]

you also have to serve potato pancakes with a fish fry IMO - anyone had a fish fry in Milwaukee?

[Andy Lynes]

PS: Andy is cheating. Only a Brit would use yeast. 

It does work though, and the batter doesn't have an overly pronounced yeasty flavour either so won't mask the flavour of the fish too much. It makes great mushy pea fritters as well.

[Andy Lynes]

It is always difficult to post a reply without looking as if it is self-promotion but after two and a half years gathering the information and creating over 2,500 web pages I have a lot to share. So rather than post some crafty link or reproducing the whole article I would prefer to be asked for the link then I am not taking up too much space.

Hub-UK - space is not a problem so post away. The link will be entirely relevant and of great interest I'm sure to all looking for info on this subject. I am pretty sure I am not alone on this board in spending time hunting out food and drink websites so if you want to make it easy for us, please go ahead.

[Suzanne F]

For those not familiar with David's site, do, do, DO have a look at it! It is one of my favorites!

[Anna N]

OK so I couldn't wait until we were ready for another fish fry and since I was experimenting with onion bhajis, I decided to try onion rings instead of fish (for the batter!).

I thought simple was best to begin with so I used the simplest of the recipes offered - 12 ozs of beer and 1 1/2 cups flour - cover and leave for 3 hours - AMAZING! Crispy, light, bubbly and hours after I made them and left a couple still sitting on the paper towel where I drained them - STILL CRISPY!

If I get no further I will be happy but I know I won't be able to resist trying a couple of the other recipes (esp. the one with yeast).

I don't see why the batter will be any different on fish but the proof will be when I am ready to make another fish fry.

THANK YOU.

[Suzanne F]

Funny you should try that: actually, I got the recipe more than 20 years ago from Family Circle magazine, in a series The Best of The Best, this one on ... onion rings! Just goes to show that the simplest can indeed be the best.

But please, don't stop here. Do try the other recipes and report back. I'm not allowed to serve fried food more than a couple of times a year, so I am vicariously enjoying your experiments.

[Anna N]

Funny you should try that: actually, I got the recipe more than 20 years ago from Family Circle magazine, in a series The Best of The Best, this one on ... onion rings! Just goes to show that the simplest can indeed be the best.  

No, I shall go on and try others but I've been doing so many experiments to get certain things right that I am afraid by the time I perfect a recipe I will never want to eat it again! Right now, I don't think I could look at another onion bhaji for years!

But who knows - tomorrow I just might crave fish and chips.

Thanks for your input

[Hub-UK2]

How to make a great batter:

http://www.hub-uk.com/tallyrecip01/recipe0008.htm

Food Tip on Deep Frying:

http://www.hub-uk.com/tallytip01/tip0007.htm

and whilst on the subject of batters, Sada Dosa or Plain Dosa:

http://www.hub-uk.com/foodpages21/recip1037.htm

[Ruth]

I have had great results with Chef Thomas Keller's tempura batter ("French Laundry", p.211) -

3/4 cup cornstarch; 3 cups cake flour; 2 tsps baking soda; 1 tsp kosher salt. 3 parts of this mix to 2 parts sparkling water.

[pjs]

Andy,

Are mushy pea fritters made from leftover Pease Pudding?

I've seen "authentic" F&C batter recipes using baking soda as a leavening agent but never yeast. I'll give yours a try.

PJ

[Dave the Cook]

But who knows - tomorrow I just might crave fish and chips.

I crave fish and chips every day. (Wait--does this belong in the Off-Topic Thoughts thread?)

[Dana]

If you can spend a few bucks and get one of those propane burner thingys and do your frying in the garage or on the patio, then you have really died and gone to heaven. There is no greasy stove to clean and no fry odors in the house. I try never to fry any other way.