Fish & Chips is arguably the most traditional British meal, if not the most well-known pub grub dish. A typical fish & chips involves a large fillet of flaky white fish such as cod or haddock coated in a beer batter and deep fried until crispy, served alongside chips (aka thick cut fries), mushy peas and condiments like tartar sauce and vinegar. I adore fish and chips, especially when I can find a really great one usually on a trip to the British coast. The best fish & chips I’ve ever had was in Whitby on the North Yorkshire Coast and to be fair, it’s been difficult to find one that can compete here in London ever since. This recipe is not traditional – far from it – and for any of you who would shudder at the idea, there’s no deep frying involved. For me, this version does the job and it’s so quick and easy to make. My husband and I both practically lick the plate clean every time we have my version of the UK’s favourite pub food!
Rather than going for a messy beer batter and a vat of piping hot oil to deep fry it in, I leave that mess to the pubs and seaside chippy’s for a special treat when we go out. My version involves dredging the fish in a flour mixture and frying it in a pan with butter and a little oil. The chips couldn’t be easier – they’re gnocchi conveniently fried in the same pan using the exact same fat left behind after the fish.
When it comes to the measurements for the dredging mixture, I’m hesitant to give exact amounts because a lot will depend on the size of the fillets you’re using. Use your judgement here and if you need to vary the flour quantity, go for it. Keep in mind that you might need to also adjust the seasoning as well if you’re using more or less flour. If you’re cooking tiny fillets from the grocery store you obviously won’t need as much as you would do if you’re lucky enough to have really large ones from the fishmonger that are as long as your forearm.
The Old Bay Lemon & Herb Seasoning is completely optional, but it does lend a very nice flavour to the fish fillets. If you prefer you could substitute regular Old Bay Seasoning or season it with whatever you prefer. I found the lemon & herb version at ASDA, but after a quick search online it seems to be available at most major grocery stores and from several online sources.
I do not like Mushy Peas. I’d venture to say I probably can’t get on board with anything called mushy – it’s not an attractive word when referring to food. I much prefer some boiled petit pois, tossed in butter with some mint thrown in. They really work with this dish and the whole mix is a delightful plate of food! If you wanna take this recipe or your favourite takeaway fish & chips to the next level, enjoy it with a glass (or a bottle – I won’t judge) of Champagne. It’s the perfect pairing. Let’s get started!
Serves 2
Ingredients
- 200g frozen petit pois
- 150g flour (about 1 cup)
- Sea salt flakes & freshly ground pepper
- 1 tablespoon Old Bay Lemon & Herb Seasoning (optional)
- 2 fillets of flaky white fish (such as cod or haddock)
- 30g unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon garlic oil or olive oil
- 500g gnocchi (from a packet – I like Garofolo for this)
- 25g unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon dried mint
- Lemon wedges to serve
Method
- Put the frozen petit pois in a saucepan with water on medium-high or high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cook to the desired consistency (or according to package instructions). When done, strain and keep warm by putting the lid on.
- Meanwhile prepare the fish. In a wide, shallow dish of some sort (I usually use a pasta bowl for this) add the flour, some sea salt flakes & freshly ground black pepper and the Old Bay Lemon & Herb Seasoning. Mix it together with a fork to combine.
- Dredge the fish fillets in the mixture until every last bit of fish is covered in a light coating of the flour mixture. Put a large frying pan on medium or medium-high heat and add the butter and oil. When it’s melted and sizzling, add your coated fish fillets and fry for about 4 or 5 minutes per side until cooked through and crispy bronzed. Remove the fillets from the pan leaving the fat behind and set aside.
- Now add the gnocchi to the same pan and toss to coat in the butter. Fry on medium-high or high heat, tossing as you do so make sure all sides of the little dumplings are crisping up and looking bronzed. When they’re all crispy, you’re ready to serve, but first let’s finish the peas.
- Put the peas back on the burner over medium heat and add the butter and dried mint. Stir or toss until all the butter is melted and all the peas are coated in the minty butter.
- To serve, plate a crispy fish fillet, half of the gnocchi and half of the peas. Sprinkle the lot with plenty of sea salt flakes and garnish with lemon wedges for sprinkling over the fish.
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