Traditional battered fish and chips

June 19, 2014 (Last Updated: January 11, 2019)
Traditional battered fish and chips recipe

How can you go wrong with the flaky, golden lightness of traditional battered fish and chips? You can’t.

Recipe by Christiaan Campbell of Delaire Graff Estate in Stellenbosch

Traditional battered fish and chips

Serves: 4
Cooking Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

  • Batter

  • 200ml lukewarm water
  • 4g fresh yeast
  • a pinch of sugar
  • 170g stoneground white flour
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 8 x 75g line-caught hake fillets
  • flour, for dusting
  • vegetable oil, for deep-frying
  • Chips

  • 8 large potatoes (Avalanche or Up to Date varietal, if possible)
  • vegetable oil, for frying
  • salt flakes

Instructions

1

Combine the water, yeast and sugar in a bowl.

2

Place the flour in a separate bowl. Make a well in the flour and slowly add the water mixture to the flour. Stir until a smooth batter forms. Set aside in a warm spot to prove.

3

Season the fish fillets and dust with flour.

4

Using kitchen tweezers, dip the fillets into the batter and drop into a hot, deep bath of frying oil. Fry until golden brown. Drain well on paper towel.

5

Peel the potatoes and cut into 1cm-wide chips. Place the potato chips in a pot and cover with water. Bring the water to a simmer and when the potato chips are three-quarters cooked, drain carefully.

6

Drain the chips on a tea towel and allow to cool.

7

When cool, fry the chips in batches in moderately hot oil until they are fully cooked, but with no colour.

8

Fry the chips again in hot oil until golden brown and crisp.

9

Drain the chips on paper towel, season with salt flakes and serve with the fish.


 

 

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