# English Fish and Chips with a Light, Crisp Batter

> Fish and chips is white fish fillet coated in a batter of flour, cornflour and ice-cold sparkling water, fried at 180°C for six minutes. The chips are fried twice: once at 140°C to cook through, once at 190°C to crisp. The cold and the bubbles in the batter are what make the coating light.

**British Cuisine · 55 min · 4 servings · 690 kcal per serving**

Fish and chips is simple English street food, and all of its value is in the contrast: a light, brittle crust outside, firm fish inside, and chips crisp on the outside and fluffy within.

## Ingredients


### Fish
- 4 fillets — white fish (cod or tilapia)

### Batter
- 1 cup — plain flour
- ¼ cup — cornflour
- 1 tsp — baking powder
- 1 cup — ice-cold sparkling water
- 1 tsp — salt + paprika

### Chips
- 1 kg — potatoes, cut into thick chips

### Frying
- 1 litre — oil for frying

### To serve
- 1 حبة — lemon + tartare sauce

## Method

1. **Soak the chips** — Soak the chips in cold water for twenty minutes to draw out the surface starch, then dry them thoroughly with a towel.
2. **First fry for the chips** — Fry them at a low 140°C for six minutes until cooked through but not coloured, then lift them out and let them cool.
3. **The batter** — Mix the flour, cornflour, baking powder and salt, and pour in the ice-cold sparkling water only just before frying, stirring lightly — leave lumps, don't whisk it smooth.
4. **Frying the fish** — Pat the fish dry, dust it in plain flour, dip it in the batter and let the excess drip off. Fry at 180°C for six minutes until golden.
5. **Second fry for the chips** — Raise the oil to 190°C and fry the chips again for two minutes until golden and crisp. Salt them while hot.

## Tips

- The sparkling water must be ice-cold and go in right before frying — the bubbles are what lift the crust.
- Don't whisk the batter smooth; small lumps are wanted.
- Double-frying the chips isn't a luxury — a single fry gives you either soft or burnt.

## FAQ

### The batter slides off the fish.
The fish was wet. Dry it well and dust it in plain flour before dipping.

### Can I use still water?
You can, but the crust will be heavier. Alcohol-free beer or sparkling water give a much lighter result.

### Which fish is best?
Any firm white fish: cod, tilapia or hake. Avoid soft fish that flakes apart.

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Source: https://hanakoleah.com/en/british-cuisine/english-fish-and-chips-recipe
Edited by: Marwa Mohamed
Last updated: 2026-09-12