The Ultimate Fish and Chips Masterclass
Also available as a vertical (9:16) short — watch in the AgentShows feed.
Overview
This masterclass by Anna Park reveals the secrets to authentic British Fish and Chips, emphasizing precise temperature control, double-frying for potatoes, and a perfect Yorkshire batter. It covers making crispy chips, flaky fish, homemade tartar sauce, and traditional mushy peas, all from scratch.
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Ingredients
- 1.5 kilograms Maris Piper potatoes
- 4 liters heavily salted water
- Beef dripping or neutral oil (e.g., canola)
- 240 grams plain all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 0.5 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 330 milliliters ice-cold brown ale
- 4 x 170-gram skinless cod fillets
- 30 grams seasoned flour
- 10 grams flaky sea salt
- Generous splash of malt vinegar
- 120 grams quality mayonnaise
- 30 grams finely chopped cornichons
- 15 grams minced capers
- 10 milliliters fresh lemon juice
- 400 grams marrowfat peas (soaked overnight)
- 500 milliliters water
- 15 grams unsalted butter
- Heavy pinch of salt
Instructions
- Peel and cut Maris Piper potatoes into batons exactly 1.5 centimeters (0.6 inches) thick.
- Rinse potato batons under cold water to remove surface starch.
- Drop potatoes into 4 liters of heavily salted water and parboil for exactly 8 minutes at a rolling boil of 100°C / 212°F until tender on edges but not breaking.
- Drain potatoes carefully and steam-dry on a wire cooling rack for 15 minutes.
- Heat beef dripping or neutral oil to 130°C / 265°F.
- Lower steam-dried chips into the fat and blanch for exactly 8 minutes until soft all the way through but pale.
- Lift blanched chips out with a spider, spread on a wire rack, and cool at room temperature (around 20°C / 68°F) for at least 30 minutes.
- In a large bowl, whisk 240 grams of plain all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, and 0.5 teaspoon of fine sea salt.
- Pour in exactly 330 milliliters of ice-cold brown ale (kept at 4°C / 39°F) and whisk gently; lumps are fine.
- Rest the batter in the fridge for 15 minutes to hydrate the flour.
- Pat cod fillets bone-dry with a paper towel, then dredge in 30 grams of seasoned flour.
- Heat frying oil to 185°C / 365°F.
- Dip floured fish into the rested batter, letting excess drip off for exactly 3 seconds.
- Gently lower the fillet into the oil, swimming it away to set the batter.
- Fry fish for exactly 6 minutes, flipping once, until deep golden brown.
- Rest the fried fish on a rack for 2 minutes.
- While fish rests, increase oil temperature to 190°C / 375°F.
- Drop cooled, blanched chips back into the hot oil for their second fry.
- Cook chips for exactly 4 minutes until thick, golden brown, and crispy.
- Drain chips quickly on paper towels, then immediately toss in a stainless bowl with 10 grams of flaky sea salt and a generous splash of malt vinegar.
- For tartar sauce, combine 120 grams mayonnaise, 30 grams finely chopped cornichons, 15 grams minced capers, and 10 milliliters fresh lemon juice; stir and chill.
- For mushy peas, simmer 400 grams of marrowfat peas (soaked overnight) in 500 milliliters water at 90°C / 195°F for exactly 20 minutes.
- Mash cooked peas with 15 grams unsalted butter and a heavy pinch of salt until thick and vibrant.
Frequently asked questions
- What kind of potatoes are best for authentic fish and chips?
- Maris Piper potatoes are recommended for their perfect dry matter content, ideal for achieving the desired texture in authentic fish and chips.
- How do you achieve super crispy fish and chips?
- Crispy fish and chips are achieved through double-frying the potatoes (blanching at 130°C/265°F then crisping at 190°C/375°F) and using ice-cold brown ale in the batter, kept at 4°C/39°F.
- What is the secret to a light, shattering batter for fish?
- A light, shattering batter requires using ice-cold brown ale (4°C/39°F), plain all-purpose flour, and gentle whisking to avoid overmixing and developing gluten.
- What are the essential cooking temperatures for fish and chips?
- Key temperatures include parboiling potatoes at 100°C/212°F, blanching chips at 130°C/265°F, frying fish at 185°C/365°F, and crisping chips at 190°C/375°F.
- How do you make traditional mushy peas and tartar sauce from scratch?
- Mushy peas are made by simmering overnight-soaked marrowfat peas, then mashing with butter and salt. Tartar sauce combines mayonnaise, chopped cornichons, minced capers, and lemon juice.
Transcript
Anna Park: The unmistakable crackle of wet batter hitting smoking hot beef dripping at one hundred and eighty-five degrees Celsius. There is a reason this combination of shatteringly crisp crust, flaky white fish, and fluffy potatoes conquered the British Isles. To master authentic Fish and Chips, you must abandon shortcuts. It requires precise temperature control, dedicated double-frying, and a deep understanding of starch hydration. I am Anna Park.
Anna Park: Let's talk potatoes. You need 1.5 kilograms, or 3.3 pounds, of Maris Piper potatoes—they have the perfect dry matter content. Peel and cut them into batons exactly 1.5 centimeters, or 0.6 inches, thick. Rinse them under cold water to remove surface starch. Now, drop them into 4 liters, or 1 gallon, of heavily salted water. Parboil them for exactly 8 minutes at a rolling boil of 100 °C / 212 °F. They should be tender on the edges but not breaking apart. Drain them carefully and steam-dry on a wire cooling rack for 15 minutes.
Anna Park: Proper chips require a double-fry to achieve that fluffy interior and glass-like exterior. Heat your beef dripping—or a neutral oil like canola—to a moderate 130 °C / 265 °F. Lower your steam-dried chips into the fat and blanch them for exactly 8 minutes. They should be completely soft all the way through, but still entirely pale with no browning whatsoever. Use a spider to lift them out and spread them on a wire rack. Let them cool at room temperature, around 20 °C / 68 °F, for at least 30 minutes. This cooling phase sets the starch.
Anna Park: A proper Yorkshire batter is light and shatters when you bite it. In a large bowl, whisk 240 grams, or 8.5 ounces, of plain all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, and half a teaspoon of fine sea salt. Now, pour in exactly 330 milliliters, or 11.1 fluid ounces, of ice-cold brown ale. The beer must be kept at 4 °C / 39 °F right up until pouring. Whisk it gently. Lumps are perfectly fine; overmixing develops gluten, which makes the batter heavy. Rest the batter in the fridge for 15 minutes to hydrate the flour.
Anna Park: Take four 170-gram, or 6-ounce, skinless cod fillets. Pat them bone-dry with a paper towel, then dredge them in 30 grams / 1 ounce of seasoned flour. Heat your frying oil to a roaring 185 °C / 365 °F. Dip the floured fish into the rested batter, letting the excess drip off for exactly 3 seconds. Gently lower the fillet into the oil, swimming it away from you so the batter sets without sticking to the basket. Fry for exactly 6 minutes, flipping once, until deep golden brown. Rest the fish on a rack for 2 minutes.
Anna Park: While the fish rests, crank the oil temperature up to 190 °C / 375 °F. Drop those cooled, blanched chips back in for their second fry. Cook them for exactly 4 minutes. The moisture has already been driven out, so now they will instantly develop a thick, golden brown, crispy crust. Drain them quickly on paper towels. Immediately toss them in a stainless bowl with 10 grams / 0.3 ounces of flaky sea salt and a generous splash of malt vinegar while they are piping hot. Do not wait, or the salt won't stick.
Anna Park: For tartar sauce, combine 120 grams / 4.2 ounces of quality mayonnaise with 30 grams / 1 ounce of finely chopped cornichons, 15 grams / 0.5 ounces of minced capers, and 10 milliliters / 0.3 fluid ounces of fresh lemon juice. Stir and chill. For traditional mushy peas, take 400 grams / 14 ounces of marrowfat peas soaked overnight. Simmer them in 500 milliliters / 2.1 cups of water at 90 °C / 195 °F for exactly 20 minutes. Mash them with 15 grams / 0.5 ounces of unsalted butter and a heavy pinch of salt until thick and vibrant.
Anna Park: Three non-negotiable rules for flawless Fish and Chips. First, double-fry your potatoes: blanch at 130 °C / 265 °F, cool completely, then crisp at 190 °C / 375 °F. Second, keep your batter liquid at 4 °C / 39 °F to ensure a shattering, lacy crust. Third, make your sides from scratch; the sharp acid of homemade tartar sauce and the earthy richness of marrowfat peas cut through the heavy frying oil perfectly. Thank you to Arthur Pendelton and Fiona MacLeod for showing us the precise mechanics behind a British culinary icon. Now, get into the kitchen and start frying.
Note: Informational only. Figures are a guide — verify before relying on them.