Fish and Chips
If you are over soggy fish and limp chips then this is the recipe for you. We are using my "best of both worlds" strategy to get that shatteringly crisp pub style Fish and Chips without the typical kitchen meltdown. By letting the air fryer handle the potatoes while we fry the fish in a cold and bubbly beer batter, everything stays hot and crunchy. It is the only way to make fish and chips at home if you actually want to enjoy your dinner instead of just cleaning up a greasy mess.
Servings: 6
Calories: 605kcal
Ingredients
For the Fries
- 6 large russet potatoes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt to taste
- ½ teaspoon coarse black pepper or to taste
For the fish
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ tablespoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
- 6 ounces stout beer cold, or more as needed
- 6 fillets white fish cod, haddock, tilapia
- ½ cup cornstarch for dredging
- vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
Air Fryer Chips
- Give the potatoes a good wash and slice them into ½ inch sticks. Place the potato sticks in a bowl of cold water and let them soak for at least twenty minutes to get rid of that extra starch. Drain them well and pat them dry with paper towels like your life depends on it. Once they are bone dry, toss them in the olive oil with salt and pepper and place them in the air fryer basket to prepare to cook.
- Place the basket into the air fryer to cook for 20 minutes at 370°F (188°C). However, you do need to remove the basket halfway through the cooking time to shake the chips around. This helps them to evenly cook and get even more crispy. So do set a timer.
Fry The Fish
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cayenne pepper, and Old Bay seasoning. Whisk in the beer until the batter is completely smooth and free of any lumps. Place the batter in the fridge for 15 minutes to chill.
- Heat up the oil to 350°F (177°C) while the batter is in the fridge. Start by lightly dredging the cut fish strips in the cornstarch. Then in small batches dip the fish into the beer batter and then immerse it into the hot oil.
- Once the batter sets, turn the fish over and cook for about 2 minutes or until golden brown. When the fish is done, remove it from the hot oil and place it on a roasting rack to drain.
- Then serve the fish and chips with some malt vinegar, tartar sauce, lemon wedges, and your favorite dipping sauce.
Video
Notes
- The Cold Rule: I cannot stress this enough. Your beer or club soda needs to be freezing cold. If it is room temperature your batter will be heavy and oily instead of light and puffy. I usually pop mine in the freezer for ten minutes before I start mixing.
- The Best Fish: Stick with cod or haddock for that thick and meaty pub style bite. Avoid thin fillets like tilapia or sole because they will just turn to mush before the batter even gets a chance to crisp up.
- The "Dry" Secret: If your potatoes or your fish are even slightly damp the crust will slide right off. Use more paper towels than you think you need. You want everything bone dry before it hits the cornstarch or the oil.
- Don't Crowd The Pan: Work in small batches. If you put too much fish in the oil at once the temperature will drop and you will end up with greasy fish. Give them space to dance.
- The Wire Rack: Never place your fried fish on paper towels. The steam gets trapped underneath and turns your crunchy bottom into a soggy mess. Use a wire cooling rack so the air can circulate all the way around.
- Oil Temperature: Keep a thermometer handy. You want to stay right around 350°F (177°C). If the oil gets too hot the outside burns before the fish is cooked. If it is too low the fish just drinks the oil.
- Recipe originally shared June 2012.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 605kcal | Carbohydrates: 94g | Protein: 44g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 85mg | Sodium: 303mg | Potassium: 2182mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 56IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 119mg | Iron: 5mg
