Fish And Chips Recipe
Beer Battered Cod served with Creamy House Tartar Sauce and Fries
Was this page helpful?
Help improve this recipe for others.
Send this recipe to your inbox.
We'll email it straight to you - plus weekly cooking inspiration.
Ingredients
Some product links may be affiliates. If you buy through them, you're supporting the site and Pekin may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Beer-Battered Cod
Fries
Creamy House Tartar Sauce
Method
Beer-Battered Cod
- 1
Prepare fish
Pat the cod fillets dry with paper towels. If fillets are thick, slice each into 2 smaller pieces so they fry evenly. Lightly season both sides with 0.5 tsp salt and 0.25 tsp black pepper.
- 2
Make batter
In a large bowl whisk together 1.5 cups all-purpose flour, 2 tbs cornstarch, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp salt, and 0.5 tsp black pepper until evenly combined. Gradually pour in 1 cup cold beer while whisking to make a smooth batter. Add 4 ice cubes to keep batter very cold; it should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon but still pourable. If too thick, add 1 tbsp more beer; if too thin, add 1-2 tbs flour.
- 3
Heat oil
In a deep, heavy pot or deep-fryer, pour about 1.5 cups vegetable oil (enough for 2-inch depth) and heat to 350°F (175°C). If you don't have a thermometer, test with a small drop of batter — it should sizzle and rise steadily without burning.
- 4
Dust fish
Place 0.5 cup flour for dusting on a plate. Lightly dust each seasoned cod piece in the flour, shaking off excess. This helps the batter adhere.
- 5
Fry fish
Working in batches to avoid overcrowding, dip each floured cod piece into the beer batter, letting excess drip off, then carefully lower into the hot oil. Fry 3–5 minutes per side depending on thickness, turning once, until batter is deep golden brown and an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part reads 135–140°F (57–60°C). Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a wire rack set over a baking sheet or paper towels. Keep warm in a 200°F (95°C) oven while you finish remaining fish.
- 6
Fries
- 7
Prepare potatoes
Peel (optional) and cut 3 russet potatoes into 1/3–1/2-inch sticks. Rinse cut potatoes under cold water until water runs clear to remove surface starch. Soak in a large bowl of cold water for at least 30 minutes (or up to 2 hours) to remove excess starch and improve crispness.
- 8
- 9
Final fry
Increase oil temperature to 375°F (190°C). Fry the par-fried potatoes in batches for 2–3 minutes until golden and crisp. Drain on a wire rack or paper towels and immediately season with 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper, tossing to coat evenly.
- 10
Shortcut single-fry method
If skipping par-fry, fry raw, well-dried potato sticks at 350–375°F (175–190°C) in batches for 5–8 minutes until golden and crisp. Drain and season immediately.
Creamy House Tartar Sauce
- 11
Mix sauce
In a small bowl combine 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 2 tbs finely chopped dill pickles, 1 tsp chopped capers, 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley, 1 tbsp very finely minced shallot, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp black pepper. Stir until smooth and taste; adjust salt, lemon, or mustard to preference.
- 12
Chill
Cover and refrigerate the tartar sauce for at least 15 minutes to let flavors meld. Sauce can be made up to 24 hours ahead and kept chilled.