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Super Crispy Fish and Chips

Super Crispy Fish and Chips. After years of experimenting I’ve perfected my homemade version of fish and chips that uses part rice flour in the batter recipe for guaranteed crunch.

Super Crispy fish and chips close up photo of one piece of cooked fish broken open to reveal interior

Super Crispy Fish and Chips . Learn the secret ingredient that makes a crisp batter.

There’s no better comfort food for a Newfoundlander than fish and chips. Everyone has their own opinions on where to get the best fee and chee, but with a little effort you can make your own.

I like this version very much. The trick to getting it right is the consistency of the batter.

Two Slices of Raw Fresh Cod Fish Fillet closeup on Wooden Cutting Board

Fresh cod is a staple of Newfoundland cooking.

Most homemade versions I have tried use a batter that is too thick. Many recipes call for a batter that is similar in consistency to pancake batter.

In my experience the batter needs to be thinner than that or the fried fish pieces will become soggy quite quickly.

If your fish batter is not crispy enough when cooked try thinning the batter with a little more liquid. Pre-heating the oil to the proper temperature is also very important or the fish will absorb too much of the oil while cooking.

Close up photo of a serving fish and chips

Super Crispy Fish and Chips.

Using part rice flour in the batter is also a sure fire way to ensure a crispy, light batter. I love a little homemade tartar sauce with my fee and chee and the lime and caper version in the included recipe is a particular favourite.

I like this version served with homemade tartar sauce, the recipe for which follows. Click here for the Crispy Baked Oven Wedge Fries recipe.

Crispy Baked Wedge Fries - learn the secret to getting all the flavour and crispiness of fried potatoes wedges from the oven using this simple straight forward method.

If you prefer to make homemade french fries using the 2-stage restaurant method check out how to do that in this recipe for Steak Frites.

Fish and chips shown with tartar sauce and a glass of beer in the background

Super Crispy Fish and Chips . Learn the secret ingredient that makes a crisp batter.

Looking for more Newfoundland inspired cuisine?

If you’d like to see more traditionally inspired recipes from our province, please check out this collection on some of our Most Popular Newfoundland recipes.

Top Ten Newfoundland Recipes photo collage for Pinterest

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Super Crispy fish and chips close up photo of one piece of cooked fish broken open to reveal interior
Yield: 4 servings

Super Crispy Fish and Chips

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

Super Crispy Fish and Chips - after years of experimenting I've perfected my homemade version of fish and chips that uses part rice flour in the batter recipe for guaranteed crunch.

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds cod fillets, boneless & skinned
  • canola oil, or peanut oil for deep frying

For the Fish Batter

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup rice flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • 2 1/4 cups soda water, cold (or beer!)

For the Lime and Caper Tartar Sauce

  • 1 cup plain mayonnaise
  • 2 tsp capers, chopped
  • 2 tsp sweet pickle relish
  • 1 tsp honey
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • juice of 1/2 lime
  • 1 tsp lime zest, chopped finely
  • pinch black pepper

Instructions

To prepare the fish batter

  1. Combine dry ingredients.
  2. Add the egg and soda water and whisk together just until the liquid is incorporated. Small lumps in the batter are not a problem.
  3. Cut the fish into about 8 pieces. Season the fish with salt and pepper on both sides.
  4. Dredge the fish pieces in additional rice flour to help the batter stick to the fillets. Dip the pieces into the batter and carefully drop them into canola oil filled deep fryer that has been preheated to 375 degrees F.
  5. Fry for a few minutes, about 5 is fine depending on the thickness of the fillets; just until golden brown on both sides. Drain on a wire rack placed over a cookie sheet. Serve immediately.
  6. If you have to fry the fish in more than one batch at a time, hold the fish in a 200 degree F oven on the draining rack to provide air circulation all the way around the fried fish pieces to prevent the fish from getting soggy.

To prepare the Lime and Caper Tartar Sauce

  1. Stir all ingredients together until well blended.
  2. Let sit in the fridge for an hour or more to let the flavors meld before serving with the fried fish.

Notes

Although this recipe calls for 2 pounds of fish it can probably easily do twice that amount if fish. Feel free to halve the recipe if you like. I think I'd still use the whole egg, but maybe cut the soda water or beer back a little bit to compensate. You can add a little more of the soda water/beer if it the batter seems too thick. Let the consistency of the final better be your guide.

In response to a question about batter sticking to the bottom of the deep fryer basket, I've added this note. Thanks to Rob for reminding me to add this tip. 

I use the same trick they use in the fish and chips shops. Don’t just drop the fish immediately into the oil, take a few seconds with each piece. Get a good grasp on one corner of the piece and almost submerge it up to the point where the tongs or your fingers are hold in the piece of fish. Being very careful not to burn yourself, sway the fish back and forth in the oil for about 5-10 seconds before dropping it completely into the il. This gives it a few seconds for the outside crust to set and it wont be able to seep into the metal grating that forms the basket.

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Rock Recipes a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Our product recommendations are almost exclusively for those we currently use or have used in the past.

Nutrition Information

Yield

4

Serving Size

1

Amount Per Serving Calories 839Total Fat 31gSaturated Fat 3gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 27gCholesterol 171mgSodium 850mgCarbohydrates 70gFiber 2gSugar 10gProtein 60g

The nutritional information provided is automatically calculated by third party software and is meant as a guideline only. Exact accuracy is not guaranteed. For recipes where all ingredients may not be used entirely, such as those with coatings on meats, or with sauces or dressings for example, calorie & nutritional values per serving will likely be somewhat lower than indicated.

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Alicia Kim

Tuesday 23rd of November 2021

Hi Barry! I just wonder if I could just use cold water not soda water or beers?

Lynn Parsons

Thursday 9th of December 2021

The beer helps make the batter crispy but if you prefer slightly less crispy water would be fine

Shelby

Wednesday 22nd of September 2021

What brands of beer do you recommend using with this recipe instead of the soda water?

Lynn Parsons

Thursday 9th of December 2021

Any lager or Pilsner should work nicely

Deb

Sunday 4th of August 2019

Hi Barry. I assume when you say "Small umps in the batter are not a problem", you mean small lumps? Just checking that it's not something else that I'm not familiar with. Cheers, Deb.

Barry C. Parsons

Saturday 5th of October 2019

Of course.

Paul Mahood

Tuesday 9th of April 2019

This may sound like heresy, but might it be possible to cook the fried fish in the oven instead of a deep fryer (a la Best Oven Fried Chicken)? We don't have a fryer and don't have any particular interest in getting one. A dutch oven is a possibility but I still would have to deal with the used oil.

Thanks

Barry C. Parsons

Wednesday 17th of April 2019

Battered fish really has to be fried.

Vero

Friday 29th of March 2019

What about just a cast iron skillet? Not a Dutch oven.

Barry C. Parsons

Monday 1st of April 2019

That's a but shallow for deep frying.

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