Traditional Irish Fish and Chips

Ian M.

New member
An Ulster Fish "fry" is Pub Grub at it's best! It's a meal that made places like Leo Burdocks in Dublin famous and can easily be duplicated at home:


1 egg yolk
1/4 cup beer
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp. salt plus salt to taste
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 large baking potatoes, peeled
Canola oil for frying
1 egg white
1 pound Haddock, boned, skinned and cut into 2-inch chunks
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Malt vinegar for serving
Lemon wedges for garnish

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk, beer, water and 1/2 tsp. salt. Whisk in the flour until smooth. Set aside for 30 minutes.
Cut the potatoes into 1/2-inch thick strips or slices and place in a bowl of cold water to prevent discoloring.
Fill an electric skillet or Dutch oven 2/3 full with oil and heat it to 375 degrees F. While oil is heating, beat the egg white until soft peaks form, then fold it into the batter to lighten it. Dip the fish in the batter and fry in batches, until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Using a slotted spatula, transfer the fish to paper towels to drain. Place the filets on a baking sheet and transfer to a 200 degree F oven to keep warm.
Drain the potatoes and pat dry with paper towels. Strain the oil used to fry the fish. In the same pan used to fry the fish, reheat the oil to 375 degrees F and fry the potatoes in batches until brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Serve immediately with the fish, with malt vinegar and lemon wedges alongside. :lucky::lucky:
 

AllenOK

New member
Ian, what kind of beer are you using?

In my experience, I've found that a good amber beer results in a better-tasting batter than batter made from the cheap pilsner swill that floods our markets.

I have yet to try a beer batter with a truly dark beer, like Guinness Stout. Have you tried this?
 

Ian M.

New member
Mine, too, Lee. My wife always wants to get jellied eel at the docks in London but that's just too over the top for me. I only want my old fish and chips and have them wrapped in a copy of the London Times if possible. :whistle:
 

Ian M.

New member
Ian, what kind of beer are you using?

In my experience, I've found that a good amber beer results in a better-tasting batter than batter made from the cheap pilsner swill that floods our markets.

I have yet to try a beer batter with a truly dark beer, like Guinness Stout. Have you tried this?

Hi Allen - Guinness is absolutely all I ever use for this. Couldn't find a better one to make batter with. The only runner-up would be a bottle of Harp! You've got great taste.........you'll never find anything other than every type of Guinness on the market at my house! The biggest guffaw I ever got was walking into a German restaurant in Cambridge and asking for a pint of Guinness. :oops:
 

Ian M.

New member
Day-um! Do they still do that? I want that, too!!

Lee

Yup! Last time I was there we got "lunch" all wrapped in newspaper and when we got back to the hotel and I peeped through the grease on the wrapper it was, indeed, a copy of the Times. If you'd like, I'll send you a copy - sans the grease. Or you could check at the kiosk in Harvard Square and they'd surely have a Sunday edition available. I pick them up at a news stand in Newburyport, MA.....once a week right on schedule.
They're well worth the two-hour trip down to get 'em, too. :clap::clap:
 

Johnny West

Well-known member
I'll have to try this recipe.

Last night I stopped at BJ's Brewhouse and had Alaska cod fish and chips. Their batter is made with one of their house made brews, I forget which. It was all excellent and will go back.
 

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Johnny West

Well-known member
Fish and Chips is popular in the NW. Usually it's Alaska cod but sometimes one see halibut which is the best. A few months ago I had some that was over fried but most all is excellent.
 

Johnny West

Well-known member
Today we ate lunch at Lowell's in Pikes Place Market.

I had the fish and chips and the mrs had the seafood platter.
she gave me two pieces of calamari, a shrimp, and one of her
cod pieces and it was all good. I am stuffed.
 

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