Enjoy a homemade fish and chips platter with beer-battered and perfectly fried flakey white fish, crunchy parmesan chips, and a creamy, tangy tartar dip! Pairs perfectly with an ice cold beer, home entertaining, and the people you love to feed!
I love a big platter of delicious fish and chips! It reminds me of so many happy places and memories in my life: New England weekends, especially trips to Newport, Rhode Island and to see my family in Connecticut, the Jersey shore, Irish pubs in the US and on Eurotrips, football Sundays and fall traditions, and some of my favorite spots right here in Hoboken that I’ve been frequenting with my family my whole life.
When we travel, if there’s a spot known for fish and chips, it’s absolutely on our list of places to go. When we go to a restaurant and see a dish of fish and chips go by on their way out from the kitchen, it’s highly likely that John or I will order it. And if we don’t, we’ll probably get an order to share anyway so we can try. Leftovers for later never hurt anyone!
Biting into that crispy, golden outer layer of fried goodness and reaching a perfectly cooked piece of fresh flakey fish in the center is just so special and delicious, and never fails to bring back tons of beautiful food memories. Just another reason to love cooking and the way it connects us to past, present, and future.
I also love making my own version of fish and chips right here at home! This recipe has been inspired over time by all the different fish and chips I’ve tried. Flounder is the preferred fish here, and because beer battered fish is our favorite, I incorporate a dark, rich stout into my homemade version. We also love baked potato wedges, and so my version of “chips” are sliced potatoes with a sharp, crisp parmesan crust and lots of fresh parsley. A bright parsley garnish adds a nice pop of color to your final product too, making the rich golden hue of your beer battered fish glow like the star it is!
I’m also a TOTAL condiment queen. Like seriously, the more little bowls of condiments you give me to dip my food in, the better. John laughs at me because I will literally ask for every side sauce condiment on the menu to try at a restaurant (he knows it's going to happen at this point in our relationship LOL). I just love the different flavors and creations...they're so much fun! It's a little ridiculous, but I know I'm not alone here, right?! That being said, I obvi had to include a quick homemade tartar sauce recipe here. I'm not at all opposed to the jarred stuff, there are so many delicious options out there, but if you want to make your own or you realize you don’t have any tartar sauce at home, this is a really simple recipe and perfect to serve on the side
Prep: 30 Minutes
Cook Time: 40 Minutes
Yield: Serves 3-4
Equipment to Note You'll Need:
Large pot for frying
A metal, heat-proof thermometer like a deep fry thermometer or candy thermometer
Large bowl for mixing the batter and dredging the fish
A cooling rack (don't lose that crispy coating to paper towels!)
Whisk
Ingredients
For the Fish & Frying:
2 pounds flounder filets or other white fish (cod, halibut, tilapia), cut into thirds and then washed and patted very dry with paper towels
½ cup gluten free all-purpose flour
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 inches oil (peanut, canola, or vegetable) in a pot or dutch oven for frying
For the Batter:
1 cup gluten free or classic all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons paprika
1 ½ tablespoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 egg
1 ¾ cups dark beer (I like using a stout like Guinness)
For the Baked Parmesan Chips:
3 Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes, thoroughly washed, cut into ¾-inch strips, then soaked in cold water for 30 minutes and blotted very dry with a kitchen towel
¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
¾ cup chopped fresh parsley
Extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
For a Quick Homemade Tartar Sauce:
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
1 tablespoon stone ground mustard
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Prep Fish and Oil for Frying:
Once the fish is very dry, season with salt and pepper and dredge each portion in flour for a very light coating. Place aside while you prep the batter.
Add your oil to a large pot and begin heating it, maintaining a temperature of 350 degrees F for frying.
Prep The Batter:
Add the flour, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper to a large bowl and use a whisk to combine. Then beat in the egg. Once the egg is beaten, add the beer and stir using a whisk until a smooth batter forms. It will take about 5 minutes to smooth out. Scrape the sides with a spatula as needed.
Bake the Chips:
Once the potatoes are patted very dry, place them in a single layer on a non-stick sheet pan coated with cooking spray or lined with parchment paper. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss to coat.
Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese and ½ cup of the parsley. Do not toss.
Bake for 40 minutes, flipping with tongs halfway through.
Remove from the oven and garnish with the remaining ¼ cup of chopped parsley.
Fry the Fish & Serve:
Once the oil is hot and ready, dredge three pieces of fish at a time in the batter until well coated and drop into the oil immediately. Fry until crispy and dark golden on both sides, turning with tongs as necessary. I find that each batch takes 6-7 minutes. Repeat in batches with remaining pieces of fish
Once cooked, use tongs to remove the fish and place it on a cooling rack set over a sheet pan. Cool for five minutes, transfer to a platter, and serve immediately on a platter or sheet pan with the chips and a side of tartar sauce (method below).
For the Tartar Sauce:
Mix ingredients together in a small bowl and serve alongside the fish and chips. Double the recipe if you think you’ll want/need more!
