Crispy Fish and Chips with Homemade Tartar Sauce

I had my first official proper crispy fish and chips when we visited my nephew in a London suburb. It was everything I had dreamed of and one of the best meals I’ve ever had. It was incredibly crisp and not at all greasy, cooked perfectly, every bite a reason to celebrate!

When I think of fish and chips, I am instantly drooling over the thought of crispy fried foods, one of my favorite ways to cook, especially when it includes potatoes.

The primary focus for correctly cooked fried foods is the heat of the oil. If it is too cool when you add the food, the oil is absorbed making the food greasy. If the oil is too hot, the outside of the food cooks before the interior.

The best way to manage this is to use a food thermometer, one made to use with candy and deep-frying or an instant-read thermometer. If you do not have a thermometer, drop 1/4 tsp of the batter or a small cube of bread in the oil. If it sinks to the bottom, the oil is not hot enough. If it rises to the top and turns golden within a minute, the oil is perfect. If the batter burns immediately, the oil is too hot.

If you add too much food at one time, the oil will cool off dramatically. You can help this by having the food at room temperature and not adding too much at one time. It may be a bit time consuming, but you will be much happier in the long run.

When making the batter for the fish, using rice flour helps give you a tender batter because there is no gluten to worry about and you’ll have the crispiest food ever.

Oh, and one more thing … ALWAYS cook the potatoes before you fry the fish. No matter how careful you are, if you reverse the order, the fries will end up with a fishy flavor!!

You can use any type of fish you like for this crispy fish and chips, but a clean white fish is traditional. Various types of cod and bass are common, but my personal favorite is halibut. A thick, mild white fish cuts into substantial pieces that remain moist and tender when deep-fried.

If you want, you can cut these into “fingers” and make mock fish sticks that your kids will love!

Depending on whom you ask, French fries or pommes frites were actually created in Belgium. This debate will probably go on until the end with no clear winner. No matter, all I know is I love them, the thinner the better!

Originally from South America, the returning Spanish Conquistadors introduced potatoes to southern Europe. Thought to be poisonous, it took a very long time for them to become a favorite of many cuisines across the globe. I am very grateful to the Spaniards for expanding the horizons of the humble potato!

The next time you are making fish, give this recipe for Crispy Fish and Chips a try. I bet you and your family fall in love with how fresh everything is and how delicious it is!

Did you enjoy this recipe? Let me know in the comments and leave a star rating, I love hearing from you!

Ingredients needed for Crispy Fish and Chips with Tartar Sauce:

• Tartar Sauce: lemon juice, dry mustard, capers, chopped dill pickles, fresh dill, mayonnaise
• Fried Potatoes: oil, Russet potatoes
• Crispy Batter-Fried Fish: flour, rice flour, white cornmeal, baking powder, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, club soda, egg, hot sauce, oil, white fish fillets, lemon

PRO Tip:

Cutting round fruits and vegetables is a challenge (in this case lemons and potatoes). The hardest part of cutting anything with rounded edges is making it stable. The easiest way is to either cut it in half or take a slice off of one edge, to create a flat surface. Set it cut side down and slice either lengthwise or crosswise.

How to make Crispy Fish and Chips with Tartar Sauce:

1. Tartar Sauce: Combine the lemon juice and dry mustard powder until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and stir until smooth. Cover and chill for about 30 minutes to let the flavors combine
2. Fried Potatoes: Heat oil in a deep pot to 325°F. Peel potatoes and cut into strips and rinse off excess starch, the pat dry with paper towels to remove all the water. Cook the potatoes in batches for 2 to 3 minutes until partially cooked and remove to a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Raise the oil temperature to 375°F and cook the potatoes in batches for a second time until golden brown and crunchy, about 4 minutes. Remove from the oil, place on a baking sheet, sprinkle with salt, and keep warm in a low oven.
3. Crispy Fish: Mix together the batter ingredients and set up bowls filled with the fish pieces, rice flour, and the mixed batter. Heat a pot of oil to 375°F. Dredge the fish pieces in the flour and dip in the batter, then cook until crispy and brown, turning once. Drain on paper towels and season lightly with salt and lemon juice. Serve immediately.

PRO Tip:

Another challenge to cutting round fruits and vegetables is how to keep from cutting yourself while slicing them. Always use a freshly sharpened knife so that you don’t have to press down to make your cuts. Draw the knife through the item, using the full length of the blade, letting the knife do the work.

We usually start from the short side of rounded vegetables or fruits like tomatoes, work our way up to the top of the first side and then back down the other side. The knife is most likely to slip on the downward angle, so when you get to the top, spin the item and start cutting from the bottom up again. Then if the knife slips, it will hit the cutting board instead of your fingers or thumb!

Recommended Tools (affiliate links; no extra cost to you):

• Kitchen scale
• Mixing bowls
• Dutch oven
• Candy-deep-fry thermometer or instant read thermometer
• Shallow dishes, pie plates, or quiche pans
• Slotted spoon or skimmer
• Vegetable peeler
• Chef’s knife
• Cutting board
• Baking sheet pan

Gluten-Free Tips:

*You can adjust any baking recipe to gluten-free by using 120 grams per cup of my favorite gluten-free flour blend. If you are using another brand of gluten-free flour, whisk the mix, spoon it lightly into a measuring cup until mounded, level off the top with the back of a knife, and weigh the flour left in the cup. Use that weight as your standard per cup of that specific flour. Do this for each flour blend you use. Commercial blends such as Pamela’s All-Purpose Artisan Blend, Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1, or King Arthur Measure for Measure are all good choices.

All recommended ingredients are gluten-free as of the writing of this article. Always check to be sure the products haven’t changed and are still safe to consume.

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Yield: about 4 servings

Crispy Fish and Chips with Tartar Sauce (Gluten Free)

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This Crispy Fish and Chips with tartar sauce is everything I dream of and one of the best meals I’ve had. It is incredibly crisp and not at all greasy, cooked perfectly, with every bite a reason to celebrate!

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

Tartar Sauce

• Juice of 1/2 lemon, or more to taste
• 1/2 tsp dry mustard powder
• 2 tsp capers, drained, rinsed, patted dry, and chopped
• 1 tbsp dill pickles, chopped finely
• Leaves from 2 to 3 sprigs fresh dill, finely chopped, of 1 tsp dried dill
• 1 cup (227g) mayonnaise

Fried Potato “Chips” or French Fries

• Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
• 4 to 6 large Russet potatoes

Fried Fish Batter

• 1 cup (120g*) all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour blend
• 1 cup (142g) white rice flour
• 2 tbsp (24g) baking powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp celery seed
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 12 oz (355ml) cold club soda water (NOT tonic water!), or as needed
• 1 large egg (50g), lightly beaten
• Dash Sriracha or other hot sauce, optional

Fried Fish

• Vegetable oil for frying
• 1/2 cup (71g) white rice flour, for dredging
• 4 (4 oz; 113g) solid white fish fillet portions, such as halibut or cod
• Lemons, cut into wedges

Instructions

1. Tartar Sauce: In a small mixing bowl, combine the lemon juice and mustard powder. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until smooth. Cover and chill 20 to 30 minutes to let the flavors combine. Can be made up to 2 days ahead.
2. Taste and adjust seasonings before serving. Let sit at room temperature about 20 minutes before serving to enhance the flavors.
3. Fried Potatoes: Heat the oil in a deep fryer or Dutch oven to 325°F (163°C).
4. Scrub the potatoes and peel if you prefer. Cut them into strips 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch wide. Rinse off the excess starch and pat dry with paper towels. Take care with this step because any water will cause the hot oil to pop.
5. Working in batches to avoid overcrowding, carefully place potatoes in the hot oil. Shake or stir occasionally so that potatoes don’t stick together.
6. Fry 2 to 3 minutes, and using a slotted spoon or skimmer, remove potatoes from the oil, and transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet. They will not be fully cooked yet and will still look basically raw.
7. Raise the oil temperature to 375°F (191°C). Return potatoes to the hot oil in batches and cook until golden brown and crispy, about 4 more minutes, shaking or stirring occasionally.
8. Transfer to a baking sheet, immediately sprinkle with salt to taste, and keep warm in a low (170°F to 200°F; 77°C to 93°C) oven.
9. Make the Batter for Crispy Fried Fish: In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients - flours, baking powder, onion and garlic powders, celery seed, salt, and pepper. In a 2-cup (473ml) glass measuring cup whisk soda water, egg, and hot sauce (if using) and pour into the flour mixture. Whisk until smooth. Batter should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Allow to sit at room temperature while you prepare the fish for cooking. Refrigerate if not using right away.
10. In a large, deep pot such as a Dutch oven, pour in enough oil to fill about halfway. The amount will depend on the size of your container. Attach a deep-fry/candy thermometer to the side of the pot. Heat oil over medium-high heat to 375°F (191°C).
11. For the Fish: Next to the stove, set up an assembly line of ingredients in shallow dishes; the fish, 1/2 cup (118ml) rice flour, and batter. Dredge the fish pieces in the rice flour, shake off excess and then dip them into the batter, letting the excess drip off.
12. Carefully lower the battered fish into the 375°F (191°C) oil. Fry the fish for 4 to 5 minutes until crispy and brown. Turn if they aren’t completely covered with the hot oil to brown the second side. Remove and drain the fish on paper towels; season lightly with salt. Drizzle with freshly squeezed lemon juice.
13. Serve immediately with fried potatoes and tartar sauce. Arrange wedges of lemons at the edge of the plates. Serve additional wedges at the table.
14. VARIATION: If you prefer to use all-purpose flour (or don’t have the rice flour on hand), see Note below.

Recipe found at www.theheritagecook.com

Notes

Rice flour and soda water give your batter more of a tempura-like texture, light and crispy. Hot oil is key to your success, so use a candy/deep-fry or instant-read thermometer to monitor the heat. For the best French fries, fry once at a lower temperature (to cook the interior of the fries) and a second time at a higher temperature (to crisp the outside). If you want to be traditional, wrap fish and chips in clean newsprint and serve with vinegar (note that malt vinegar contains gluten!).

If you don’t have the special rice flour on hand, you can eliminate the rice flour from the batter and replace it with all-purpose flour and mix with the seasonings.

*You can adjust any recipe to gluten-free by using 120 grams per cup of my favorite gluten-free flour blend. If you are using another brand of gluten-free flour, whisk the mix, spoon it lightly into a measuring cup without a spout until mounded, level off the top with the back of a knife, and weigh the flour left in the cup. Use that weight as your standard per cup of that specific flour. Do this for each flour blend you use. Commercial blends such as Pamela's, Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1, or King Arthur Measure for Measure are all good choices.

All recommended ingredients are gluten-free as of the writing of this article. Always check to be sure the products haven’t changed and are still safe to consume.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1119Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 121mgSodium: 683mgCarbohydrates: 203gFiber: 15gSugar: 13gProtein: 49g

The nutritional information for recipes on this site is calculated by online tools and is merely an estimate.

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