Deep fry · Intermediate
Pub-style fish and chips
Bubbly beer batter, thick chips, and the sort of crunch you can hear.
Illustrative AI-generated food image; see our editorial standards.Let's make it.
- Cut potatoes into thick chips. Rinse, simmer in salted water until just tender, drain carefully, and let them steam dry completely.
- Set up a heavy pot with plenty of headroom, a thermometer, and a wire rack. Add oil only to the safe fill level recommended for the pot; keep water and wet food away.
- Fry dry chips in small batches until pale golden and just crisp. Lift to a rack. Let the oil return to temperature between batches.
- Whisk flour and baking powder together. Stir in cold lager just until a loose batter forms; a few small lumps are fine.
- Pat fish completely dry, dust lightly with flour, dip in batter, and lower gently into the hot oil away from you. Fry one or two pieces at a time, turning once, until deeply golden and safely cooked through.
- Return the chips for a brief second fry until deeply golden. Drain everything on a rack, salt while hot, and serve with lemon and tartar sauce.
The little thing that matters
The chips need to be genuinely dry before frying. Steam-dry them well and lower them gently; ice or water on food can make hot oil spit.
For meat and seafood, use a food thermometer and current authoritative guidance to verify safe doneness. Keep water away from hot oil.
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